


Traitor

by CALLEN37



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-20
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-20 19:48:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/CALLEN37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>****OK so don't kill me! Tiva for a Second if you squint, Not for real TIVA fans or Ziva Lovers. ***** <br/>Ziva's real reason for coming to America is revealed, How do the team handle the revelations they get and how do they cope when years later they have to face her again. <br/>Remember not a TIVA fic, More a Gibbs/DiNozzo...Father/Son fic in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Watching Ducky load her father's body onto the van, Ziva wiped her eyes and walked to her car.

"Ziva…you gonna be ok? I can get DiNozzo to run you home." Gibbs said his heart breaking watching the pain that an agent he regarded as a daughter go through, as her own biological father had died. From Gibbs' perspective, Eli David had not been the most attentive father, but with his teams' penchant for having unpredictable family members he knew in her own way she loved him.

He was right.

Ziva shook him off got in her car and drove. She went straight to the Israeli embassy and walked into the office of the security officer there. "I need a secure line to Orli Elbaz at Mossad." She ordered.

The security officer nodded and jumped to her request. It was unusual for Ziva herself to turn up and knew that this must be important.

"Elbaz." A sleepy voice answered, it was just past four am there and Orli had been sleeping.

"Ima…Abba is dead…" Ziva cried.

Orli cried with her stepdaughter. Only a few knew that Director David had married again, and he had married the head of the Kidon at that. Ziva's family hadn't been as messed up as Gibbs had been led to believe. Yes, Ari had been her brother, she had only met him twice as he was as he had told Gibbs the product of an affair between Eli David and a Palestinian woman…only, it hadn't been an affair, Ari's mother had been held by the Kidon until she had gotten pregnant and then an undercover Israeli operative had raised the boy to be the perfect killing machine and fall guy. If the Palestinians killed him, Israel could claim a reason to go to war; however as a child of the director with a grudge in the end he had become the perfect patsy.

Talia, sweet little Talia, Orli and Eli's only child had been killed in a bomb that Ari had planted. From that day on Ziva had gained her brothers trust and planned her revenge on the little sister she had loved so much.

Ziva's mother Rivka had left when she had learned about Ari, Eli had refused to allow her to take his daughter with her and had married Orli soon after, Orli and Eli had raised Ziva and loved her, She had, in-fact had a loving and stable upbringing.

"I know I have to continue with my mission, but Ima, I want to come home for the funeral." She asked.

"The Americans will be suspicious if you do not." Orli agreed "Arrange for the transportation of your father's body, my name cannot appear on any documents, I will meet you at our home."

Tony walked her to the plane and held her as she left "At Lo levad" he whispered in her ear, "You are not alone."

She smiled sadly and turned to the plane and walked off.

* * *

Three days, later after her father's funeral she sat in her stepmother's living room holding onto the hand of the one man she truly loved. Adam Eshel leant against her offering her all the support he could.

"You will need to come and take your role as the new Director of Mossad." Orli told her step-daughter.

"Ima, I cannot leave right now, if the American's knew what we have done there could be an incident, we need to find out who is responsible for my father's death," Ziva said.

"And we cannot have Ilan Bodnar as the Director of Mossad; your father didn't want that." Adam added.

Ziva smiled and kissed him, "I have an idea." She told them.

* * *

Back in DC, she quickly got back into the routine of being; quiet little Ziva, and following her old role. Tony had been more attentive of her since they had been to Berlin tracking down Bodnar, although there had been that rocky moment when Tony had been left out of the search for Bodnar by Ziva and McGee, but, from Ziva's point of view, McGee was not as good an investigator as Tony and by including one of them it drew suspicion away from her but still kept her true goal hidden.

She was sore and bruised, but being able to walk away from the car crash just after they had arrived back was a plus, Ziva would have been gutted if everything had gone wrong after that.

She managed to get Tony to drop her off at her apartment after lending him her car and she unlocked her door to the smell of a meal cooking.

* * *

"Ima?" she asked confused.

"Ziva, I heard Ilan hit you with a car, I was so worried, so I came here and I cooked." Orli told her smiling.

Ziva sunk into her chair, "It smells wonderful." She smiled.

"I didn't see your car out the front, where did you park?" Orli asked looking out of the window.

"I have given my car to Tony," she replied.

"And none of them suspect?" Orli asked as she placed the meal on the table and they sat down.

Ziva shook her head, "I had McGee help me track down Bodnar, he was so grateful to be included rather than Tony that he followed where I led him, Tony …well, Tony is Tony, he got suspicious when I met Adam in Berlin, I need to keep him close Ima, Tony is probably the only one who can stop us, well except for Gibbs, but I hear you have that in hand." Ziva said spooning potatoes onto the plate.

Orli dished up the vegetables and nodded, "I have left a small trail of breadcrumbs with a …How do they say? Blue-nose…in the DOD IG his name is Richard Parsons."

"Brown-nose mother." Ziva smiled, "I know I am fluent in American, but pretending to get my idioms wrong, just to wind up Tony has been fun, I will miss it."

"Well soon, Gibbs will be out of our hair, the team will be disbanded and you will be able to join up as the head of Mossad with no one any the wiser." Orli smiled, "And I can move back to Kidon, where I am happiest."

* * *

As they placed their badges on the desk, Ziva realized she was nearly done with her mission. The three agents walked down stairs and grabbed their bags, "Bar?" McGee asked.

Tony and Ziva nodded, "Drowning your sorrows after quitting your job is a tradition…No?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah." Tony said grabbing the box of his personal effects and his bag.

As the other Agents on the floor looked on shocked at the last of 'Team Gibbs' boxes of personal effects in hand walked for what could be the last time out of the building.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony leant against Ziva as McGee laughed, "Did you see the looks as we left...they were speechless!" he said.

"It was the end of an era." Tony agreed.

"What of Gibbs...Does anyone know where he is?" Ziva asked.

Tony shook his head; "I checked his cell, his personal one it was switched off."

"I do not have a phone anymore; I only had my company one." Ziva told them.

"You don't have a personal back up phone?" McGee asked stunned.

"No?" Ziva said, "Should I have."

Both boys produced private cell phones, "Rule 29." They said together.

Ziva resisted the urge to roll her eyes, Gibbs' rules again.

"I have to go home." McGee said, "Need to walk Jethro." He explained.

They bade him goodbye and Tony and Ziva left the bar and walked along the street.

"Ziva..." Tony said turning to her.

She had known this was coming, Rule 12 no longer applied and she didn't have that to fall back on, neither could she turn Tony down...she still needed the contact that he had in all forms of law enforcement.

She smiled as she turned to him, "Tony?"

"I...I am in love with you, you know that?" He said, the alcohol fuelling his bravado.

"I love you too, but, Gibbs rule. 12." Ziva said suddenly finding herself in his arms.

"We aren't co-workers anymore," Tony said and leant down and kissed her.

Ziva allowed herself to melt into his kiss, closing her eyes she imagined it was Adam in her arms, that and the alcohol that she had ingested and the fact that she missed Adam greatly meant that not only did she melt, she completely lose herself in the kiss.

"My apartment?" Tony asked.

Ziva looked up shocked, Tony never asked a woman back to his apartment, but it was nearer and Ziva needed a release of her own. So she nodded.

Ten minutes later, the door to the apartment was kicked open as Tony and Ziva groped with each other, tongues and hands moving between them and the air getting more heated by the moment.

Within moments Tony touched her and all thoughts of Adam fled as she got caught up in the passion between them.

* * *

Waking up she looked over at Tony, she felt disgusted with herself and left while he slept.

Tony woke hoping to see the woman he loved lying beside him, he was disappointed and listened to see if she was still in the apartment. He realized she had gone and he sat up in the bed. 'Maybe she's just gone for a run.' He thought although he knew it wasn't likely. He had broke his own rule, he had brought the one woman he really had feelings for back to his apartment, his sanctuary and she hadn't stayed. He felt betrayed but vowed not to mention it again unless she brought it up and he definitely was  **never**  telling McGee.

He showered, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and toed on a pair of sneakers, feeding Kate he went for a walk.

An hour later he found himself outside Gibbs' house. Gibbs wasn't there, that he knew. Gibbs had sent him a message to tell him he'd been recalled to active service on a top secret mission. Knowing that Tony wouldn't tell anyone and that had he not been told he would have moved heaven and earth to find Gibbs.

Cleaning the house up after Parsons and his goons had trashed the place searching it, Tony busied himself for a few hours. When he was finished he ended up in the basement.

He poured himself some bourbon in a mason jar and leant against the bench.

"I fucked up boss." He said sadly to himself.

"What'cha do?" A voice came from the top of the stairs.

* * *

Tony jumped and nearly dropped the jar he was holding.

"B...Boss...?" He stammered.

Fornell grinned, "I keep asking, yet you keep turning me down." He replied.

"Gibbs isn't here." Tony said sadly.

"I know, he sent me to tell you to get out of his basement." Tobias said pouring himself a drink as Tony's cell phone went off.

Tony opened the message and smiled and handed the phone to Fornell who burst into laughter at the message that said.

***Tell Tobias not to drink all my bourbon.***

"So what did you do?" Tobias asked sitting on a stool as Tony took the bottom step.

"I slept with Ziva..." Tony said, he hadn't planning on talking to Gibbs or Fornell about this, but he had been friends with Fornell since Gibbs had taken his hiatus to Mexico.

"Tony, WOW!" Tobias said stunned, "At your place?" he asked and looked shocked as Tobias nodded.

"Toby...she wasn't there...when I woke up she wasn't there, I called twice, once unlisted, she hung up on me...I really screwed the pooch on this one." Tony sighed.

"Wow..."

"You got anything more than that?" Tony asked looking at Tobias askew.

"I haven't been more shocked since I found McGee in bed with my wife!" Tobias admitted.

"He said he never slept with her..."

"Ok so they were on the sofa, but still...WOW!" Toby continued.

"TOBY!" Tony yelled. He walked up and down the length of the basement and sat down again. "I really thought that after the elevator, Ziva and I were finally on the same page..."

"You really love her?" Tobias said softly.

"I do...I did...I...God! Toby, I thought that now Gibbs was gone, Rule 12 didn't apply and she would feel the same way I did...I don't know now." Tony let a tear roll unabashed down his face.

"Come on son, I'm cooking pasta," Tobias said and led the way upstairs, Gibbs may not have been there, but Toby was his friend and would not let his boy down when he needed help.

* * *

It had been two months since that night, finally Ziva had located Gibbs, and he was apparently, in training for some secret mission, needing more answers Ziva only knew one place to look.

Vance's office looked exactly as she had seen it last, breaking into his filing cabinet was easy, her lock picks still worked.

She got the file out and started taking pictures when the shadows moved.

"Is that enough proof Parsons?" Vance asked.

Richard Parsons looked over at Director Vance who sat on a chair in the shadows looking angrier than ever.

"Yes director." Parsons stood up as Ziva jumped and DiNozzo and McGee walked in with their guns raised.

"Ziva David...You are under arrest for Espionage, your status as a United States citizen will be revoked and I have an order to have you deported back to Israel." Parsons said smugly.

"Eshel." Ziva spat. "My name is Ziva Eshel." She said smiling at the shock that crossed Tony's face.

Tony stood at the window watching in disbelief as the woman he had loved tore down everything they knew about her and threw it in his face knowing he was watching.

McGee and Abby stood either side of Tony in a group hug as she happily revealed that the killing of Ari had been designed to get her into a federal agency in the US, although she had been unable to move to one of the bigger agencies, she had managed to destabilized NCIS enough to get Homeland security and the FBI involved causing chaos in the country.

"Why?" Parsons asked.

Ziva smiled, not the smile they were used to seeing but an evil, feral smile. "Because the US sticks their noses in Israeli affairs far too much, it was about time we gave you a taste of your own medicine."

Parsons leant back, "I need to know what you learnt from us...you will tell me before you leave."

"You cannot lay a finger on me, my men will be here to escort me back to Israeli soil and then I will return home to my real job as head of Mossad."

"Miss David..."

"Mrs. Eshel. My name is Mrs. Eshel; I have been married to Adam Eshel for ten years now."

Tony tensed at that.

"Well at least you two never got together." McGee said quietly.

Tony turned and walked out of the room, the last thing he heard was... "McGee!" followed by a thump and'oomph.'

* * *

Walking her to the plane and with Gibbs, finally back where he belonged at NCIS all three men had requested the task of deporting their ex-teammate.

"Ziva Eshel, you are hereby ordered to leave the United States and are, unless exceptional leave is granted to you, never to set foot in the United States of American or any of her territories." Gibbs read from the court order and handed it to her.

He was still hurt as he had let her in as family and thought of her as a daughter only to find out she had played him all these years.

"I am not sorry Gibbs. I was only doing my duty to Mossad and my country."

"You left Mossad!" Tim snapped undoing her cuffs.

"No one EVER leaves Mossad Tim." Ziva said, "But I did like you that wasn't' faked." She admitted.

Gibbs glared and turned away taking Tim with him.

Ziva turned to her men and put one finger up in the worldwide 'wait' gesture. She turned to Tony and stood close so no one could here.

"So what we had was a lie." Tony said sourly.

"You were a Job DiNozzo, nothing more." She said snidely. "However, at least you gave me something to take back to Israel with me..." She turned to go and then said "I'm pregnant...it's yours...Goodbye Tony."

She turned and walked away not even bothering to look back as Tony stood shocked staring after her, one hand shooting out and grabbing the wall for support lest his knees buckle and betray him.

Getting his mask back in place he turned, 'she was lying, she had to be...' he thought and turned back to his family and his team.

 


	3. Chapter 3

It had been twelve years since the day they had escorted Ziva Eshel onto a plane and kicked her out of the US.

Gibbs was now, as much as he hated it Director of NCIS, Vance having retired to raise his children.

Tony was head of the agency's MCRT and Tim was his SFA. Dorneget had been the first to fill the space left by Ziva and three years later, Clara Baker had joined the team straight out of FLETC. This group worked, Abby was still the in the Lab, Ducky had retired and James Palmer now ran the Morgue.

Gibbs leant on the railing watching the MCRT finish up their last case.

DiNozzo looked up as he felt eyes on him and nodded to Gibbs.

With a nod Gibbs let him know that he was needed, "I'm going up to see the boss." Tony told Tim,

Tim nodded and smiled that even though Gibbs had finally been promoted no one called him Director inside the Agency, he was just Boss...to everyone.

* * *

"Hey boss." DiNozzo said walking straight into his office.

"I need you and McGee for a week or two; I'm taking your team off rotation and putting Dorneget and Baker on cold cases." He told his ex-SFA.

Tony grabbed a scotch off the bar in the corner and sank into a chair, his gut telling him he wasn't going to like what was coming.

"So where we off to boss?" He asked.

Gibbs leant back trying to put space between them as he said his next word. "Israel."

If anyone had asked the Janitor in the sub basement at that moment if he had heard anything he would have sworn blind he heard a man yelling. As it was Tony's voice could be heard clear across the bullpen as he hadn't shut Gibbs' door.

"ISRAEL, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!" he jumped up dropping the glass and heading for the door.

"DiNozzo...DINOZZO...TONY!" Gibbs shouted back and slammed his door shut just before Tony walked through.

Tim hearing the yell looked over at Ned.

"You think the Boss is ok?" he asked referring to Tony.

Tim nodded, "Hold down the fort Ned, I think this is a family matter." Tim said and headed for the stairs.

In the years since Ziva had left, Tim and Abby had got married, although they'd had no children. Gibbs had kept them all close like a family and indeed they, Tony, Tim and Abby were all referred to as Gibbs' kids. Tony's team were not that close, in fact no other NCIS team had been that close, not even when Dorneget had replaced Ziva for a while had he been let in. Ziva had hurt them too deeply.

* * *

By the time Tim made it to the office Tony was stomping up a storm. "WHY, YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM...ESPECIALLY NOT HER!" he yelled.

Gibbs sat watching Tony pace, "Its politics, and orders from SECNAV, would you want to defy her?"

Tony halted his pacing..."Err...No..."

"And that Mr. DiNozzo is why I was made SecNav." Hetty's voice came over the plasma at the end of the room and Tony Jumped, Gibbs just turned he had been talking to her just before Tony walked in.

"It would be prudent if you and Mr. McGee provided, Director Gibbs with protection, neither of you will fall for any of the tricks that Director Eshel will pull." Hetty said and Tony turned for a second pain flashed across his face.

"Do we have an up to date file on the Director...Private stuff?" Tony asked.

"She is married; he husband Adam is assistant director of Mossad. They have two children one eight years old a boy, Eli and another..."

"Twelve?" Tony asked.

Hetty shook her head "no, a little girl Talia she's six, both very pampered."

"Good to know." Tony said to himself a small knot he had carried for years dissipated. She had been lying.

* * *

"Fine, when do we leave?" Tony snapped.

"As soon as Mr. McGee is told and has informed his wife, I have a gulf stream on standby for you." Hetty told them.

Tony flashed a smile at Gibbs, "She's a great SECNAV," He whispered,

"Thank you Mr. DiNozzo," She said as Tony mouth 'HOW?' to Gibbs who smiled.

Just as Tim knocked on the door and Tony opened it, "Boss?" he asked.

"You gotta go see the wife McGoo, WE are off to Israel." He said turning his SFA around.

Tim sidestepped him, "Boss?"

"At least a week Tim, maybe two, Protection, I have a meeting with the Director." He said walking them to the elevator.

Tim nodded and caught up with Tony at the elevator, "You tell her!" Tim begged as the door shut.

Gibbs grinned and walked back to his own office.

* * *

Ziva sat in her office the window opened as a warm breeze blew across the courtyard and into her office. Eli had just left with his father as Talia ran in showing her mother her new doll that her secretary had handed to her.

"Ima! Look, I have a new doll; Granma Orli got it for me." The little girl said looking up with her father's brown eyes.

"It is as beautiful as you are." Ziva said, "Did you want a drink of juice, it is time for a walk is it not, maybe you can show other's your beautiful doll, what is her name..?" Ziva asked.

"Rebecca." Talia told her mother, Naming it after Ziva's assistant. Ziva held out her hand and Talia grabbed it nicely and they walked through the building.

As they walked outside a number of street children gathered hoping for hand outs as usual one hung back, he never went near the director of Mossad, but never left the premises, he knew he couldn't. Leaning against the wall and watching he smiled at the little girl who lifted her doll to show him.

Ziva noticed and ushered Talia to go inside and turned to the others. Handing out a few coins they ran away and Ziva walked up to the boy.

"Traitore, you have been told not to let her see you, I let you stay here, you are fed, well, when there is enough thrown out for you, but you do not interact with anyone...Remember." her voice harsh and abrupt.

The boy nodded and whispered, "Sorry Ima..." He flinched but stood still as she backhanded him around the head.

"Traitore DiNozzo, you will NEVER address me as that again, you were spawned from my body but you are not my child, you are no one's child you are a traitor, the son of a man who used me, he didn't want you either...GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

A Mossad operative walking by shot the boy an evil look, which as soon as the director had turned her back was a sad one.

Everyone in Mossad knew about Traitore, the boy had been born after the Director got back from an undercover mission and the boy was hated by all officially and pitied by a few in reality, his pale Italian skin and green eyes made him stand out, he lived behind the kitchens eating scraps from the bins and occasionally he was shot at for fun as target practice by the agents or used to do jobs no one else wanted to do or was punished for mistakes by higher up operatives while juniors watched and learned their place. The biggest rule at Mossad was if you betrayed Mossad you'd wish you were Traitore DiNozzo.


	4. Chapter 4

Touching down at Tel Aviv, Gibbs and DiNozzo breathed in air that they thought they would never have to face again, McGee reeled. "Wow it's hot."

Tony and Gibbs smiled "Yep." Gibbs said and handed McGee a water bottle.

Four, Black, SUV's stood on the Tarmac; Adam got out of the first one and walked to the men.

"Director Gibbs, Agents' McGee and DiNozzo?" He asked Glaring at the operative who let out a snigger at Tony's name.

"Assistant Director Eshel, Thank you for meeting us." Gibbs said shaking his hand.

They got in the Car, McGee went with Gibbs and Tony got in the one behind.

"Hey." Tony said

The operative who laughed was quiet the whole ride back to headquarters.

* * *

Ziva was standing at the front with her children awaiting their arrival, Tore had been ordered to stay in the kitchens, but he had heard the Agents talking about the Americans and he wanted to see, Tore had an unquenchable curiosity he had taught himself to read and write Hebrew and he had learned English by listening into other conversations he wanted to learn everything and maybe run away to America. Things had to be better there. The other street children had been cleared as the special Americans were coming and finally he would get to see if American's were like the movies he had snuck into in Tel Aviv.

He stayed in the shadows and knew no one could see him he held his breath as the cars pulled up.

"Ima!" Talia's voice crossed the courtyard on the breeze. "The Americans are here!"

"I can see that sweetie." Ziva said brushing a stray lock from her daughter's hair. Tore reached his hand up to his head and copied the movement wishing she would do that to him.

"Ima, why do you and Abba have to meet with the Americans?" Eli asked haughtily "Are they not beneath us as all American's are...like...him?"

"You are right my son, however, sometimes we have to do things we don't like for the greater good." Ziva told him.

Eli smirked, "Like having Traitore..."

From his hiding place Tore flinched.

"You do not mention him while they are here." Ziva snapped and Eli closed his mouth smirking as his elder brother whom he knew was watching from the shadows.

When he was smaller he had tried to make friends with Eli until Ziva had explained to Eli what Traitore was and how he was worse than the street children that ran up and down his road.

* * *

Adam got out first and Talia and Eli ran up and hugged him, "Abba!" they called.

Adam kissed his wife hoping that it would hurt Tony.

"Ziva." Gibbs said and held out his hand.

"Director Gibbs," Ziva shook his hand. "McGee, Tony... Welcome to Israel."

Gibbs started following as the others got their bags, "McGee DiNozzo!" Gibbs called.

Tore looked surprised, the man...the last man...had his name...like Eli and Talia had their fathers name.

Remembering what he had been told about his father he looked shocked, he didn't look evil, or stupid...he...he looked kind. He needed to get a closer look, keeping to the shadows, unseen he followed them.

Gibbs felt he was being watched, but he was in Mossad, in the compound, he would be disappointed if no one was watching him, but his gut said it was more.

* * *

"Good afternoon Director Gibbs, Can I get you settled into your rooms, we have stationed you in the compound for safety." Rebecca, Ziva's assistant told them.

Gibbs nodded at the young woman, "We have a suite for you and two rooms for your protection detail."

"Agents McGee and DiNozzo. Ma'am,"

Rebecca smirked a little, "What?" Tony asked.

"I am sorry," Rebecca smiled.

She took the men's bag and walked them across the compound to get settled in. "These are your rooms, the director said for you to freshen up, she will see you in an hour,"

Gibbs looked out of his window and saw a street kid with bright green eyes staring up at him from behind a pillar on the ground floor across the compound. His gut nearly twisted in half, the kid looked like a smaller version of Tony.

"Miss...?"

"Ben-Aaron. Rebecca Ben-Aaron," she supplied.

"Do you have a lot of trouble with street children here?" he asked amiably

"We have none." She said.

He followed her downstairs as she left and walked across the street and pulled the boy out of the shadows.

* * *

"Traitore, do you want to Director to know you've been seen?" She said kindly.

"Rebecca! He has my name...the American...!" Tore said excitedly.

"Tore...The director will beat you again if she catches you or worse like last time, I don't want to have to patch you up again...if she catches me, she will leave us both for the Kidon." Rebecca said stroking the boy down the cheek and Tore leant into the soft touch.

"I will hide they will not see me...But tell me...DiNozzo...is he kind?" Tore asked.

"He has kind eyes." Rebecca said.

Not able to follow the whole conversation as it was in Hebrew Gibbs listened, words like DiNozzo...American and Kidon he understood.

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked stepping out of the shadows.

Tore looked terrified and went to run as did Rebecca.

"Stop!" Gibbs ordered. Tore curled in a defensive ball against the wall as Rebecca stood in front of him.

"Do not tell the director please!" Rebecca begged, "Tore meant no harm, he was just interested, please he is just a child."

"Whose?" Gibbs asked.

"Whose child is he?" he asked again.

* * *

On the defensive Gibbs pulled himself up and glared at the woman, The boy instantly moved to protect her and in broken English said, "I am no child...I am trash I am the thing you want to be if you betray Mossad. She did not mean to make you mad sir; I will take her punishment as is my role."

Gibbs looked at the boy who was terrified and brave at the same time.

"What?"

"When an Agent is bad, I get punished for them, you must beat me while they watch, it is the way."

Gibbs stepped back as if he had been struck. "Who does this?"

"Kidon if i am lucky."

"Lucky?" he wanted to puke now.

"Ima if I am not." Tore said looking at the ground for a second and then putting his eyes back on the threat, back on Gibbs.

"Your mother?" Gibbs gut threatened to tear him in half.

"Please sir, I will take him away, you need to forget you saw him or they will punish him again." Rebecca pleaded tears falling freely.

"I will soon," Gibbs crouched showing Tore he wasn't a threat, "Just tell me what your name is?" he asked.

"I am the traitor..." the boy said, "My name is Traitore DiNozzo."

Gibbs looked up as a sharp intake of breath sounded behind him.

* * *

Realizing that he had gone Tim and Tony walked downstairs and saw Gibbs and a woman in the shadows, grabbing their guns they crossed the courtyard and saw the boy move to protect her. Hearing the last sentence Tim looked at Tony who lowered his gun in shock.

"Why are you called that?"

"My father raped my mother and I am the traitor that bred. I am the lowest of the low and I shall be punished for whatever transgression you feel that Miss Rebecca did...it is my duty you beat me sir and I am to eat." He looked up hopefully, "If you are kind and do not break my jaw?" he asked with just as much hope.

"I have no intentions of beating you and neither will anyone else, ever again," Gibbs said.

Tore looked on confused, "But sir, how will I eat?" He got scared, "Please do not tell Ima...the Director I beg of you...She will leave me to the Kidon."

Tony crouched down in front of his son, "Tore...Can I call you that?" he asked gently and the boy nodded.

"I did not do that to your mother, my name is Tony DiNozzo," Tore looked at him suspiciously,

"Did the director send you to kill me...she said you would someday." He sighed resigned to his fate.

All three men looked shocked.

Tim stepped forward, "My name is Tim, I can tell you that you are save with us no matter what the Director says no one will hurt you again, you will never go without food or shelter and you will be safe with us." He promised.

"Why?" Tore asked

"Because I am your father, and I love you and I will protect you." Tony said, knowing as he said it every word was true.

"My...Abba...my own...like Eli and Talia's...you won't...hurt me?" Tore said hope then fear crossing his face.

"Never." Tony said he held out his arms and Tore looked at him, "Hug?" Tony asked.

Tore looked at Rebecca confused.

Tony gently pulled Tore into his arms and held him, Tore didn't cry, he didn't move...but he wanted to. He wanted to sigh in relief for once someone other than Rebecca was treating him with kindness. This man was his father someone he had learnt to fear and yet was treating him the way his Ima had treated Eli and Talia. The way he wished she had treated him.

"Erm, Director Gibbs, you still have an appointment with the Director." Rebecca pointed out.

"Yes...Yes we do," Tony said taking Tore's hand and walking towards the building.

"NO!" Tore hung back "I cannot go in there unless I am to be punished, it is forbidden!"

"Not anymore, nothing she says is important anymore." Tony said.

"Abba...please, NO!" Tore was shaking in his boots.

"Tony, take Tore to your room, I will deal with Ziva."Gibbs said and left with Tim.

* * *

Walking into Ziva's office, Gibbs was incensed at the fact that there were pictures of Eli and Talia all over the place and not one of Tore...although he really didn't expect there to be, Everything he knew about Ziva had been blown away when he had deported her, but to realize she was capable of having a child and treating it in such a callous manner as a mere casualty of war, a traitor to be punished all because he was born and give him the name Traitore, Traitor in Italian just to further humiliate the boy and his father riled him up no end.

Ziva stood up as he entered, "Director Gibbs, I am glad you accepted my invitation to come to Israel." She said. "I take it by the look you are giving me you have seen the garbage I wish to send back with you."

Gibbs was shocked by the cold demeanour that she had, "That is your son Ziva?"

"That is the spawn of Tony DiNozzo, something I acquired during my mission, It is not needed anymore, take it or do not I do not care, he is too big to be useful to Mossad anymore, if you do not want him, I will send him to the Kidon, they can use him as target practice." She said offhand.

"This is why you called SecNav?" He asked.

"Do you want it?" Ziva asked, "I will not have it interacting with my children; it is...an embarrassment now,"

Gibbs stood up, "You know how I feel about children...you know about Kelly and yet you do this to us...?"

"Take the traitor or do not, Mossad will put you up for tonight, you and that must be of Israeli soil by midday tomorrow, it is up to you whether he leaves alive or dead...Maybe Tony is exactly as I told his son he was..." Ziva smiled coldly, "Maybe you hate me so much you can walk out on it and let it die."

Gibbs got up and walked out.

As the door closed, alone, Ziva closed her eyes, she knew she had pushed too far but she couldn't protect the boy anymore Gibbs had been her last hope.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs, still angry walked into his suite that Ziva had assigned him to; he had calmed himself down outwardly so as not to frighten the boy. Tony looked up from the chair he was sitting in.

"Boss?" Tony said keeping his voice calm and indicating to the corner where Tore had curled up and gone to sleep.

"She called us here for him; she doesn't want him here anymore." Gibbs whispered. Tony got up and motioned for Gibbs to step out onto the balcony.

Closing the door up and shooting Tim a grateful grin as he moved into the seat that Tony had just vacated he turned to Gibbs.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Tony asked still holding his voice down.

"Apparently Tore, outlived his usefulness…" Gibbs paused letting the word hang in the air.

Tony turned away, looking out over the balcony and across the compound. "She told me….as she got on the plane…I didn't believe her." He said sadly.

"Tony, its ok…You had no reason to believe her, we had just found out she had lied to us for eight years, and I think at that point if she had told me she was a woman I would have wanted to double check." Gibbs said with a sad smile.

Tony looked up and shot him a slight grin in return, "Rule 14?"

"Darn right." Gibbs replied.

"Kinda works for me too," Tony said sadly. "Did she actually feel anything for him?"

"It doesn't look like it, she told me that we have to have him off of Israeli soil by midday tomorrow," He paused wondering if he should tell him the rest, but Gibbs knew that Tony would go mad if he found out later, "She said he would be off Israeli soil by that time even if we didn't take him…she called him it."

Tony's stomach churned, "The Ziva we knew was a lie? How can any mother be that callous, you saw him he's sleeping on the floor, he freaked when I tried to get him to sleep in a bed. I offered him food and he….God…Gibbs! He went straight to the trash can!"

"He has no other clothes, I got him to show me where he slept, and he asked to get something…" Tony sank down the wall and let his tears flow, "He had a picture of Ziva with me and she had scored my face out of the picture, all he owned on the back was his name, he kept it in a hole in the wall near the garbage cans out the back. "I asked where he slept, he pointed to behind the Trash cans, Gibbs! He doesn't even own shoes! And did you see her other kids….God Boss! I thought my father was bad…I'm worse!"

"HOW!" Gibbs snapped gruffly, "How are YOU worse than Senior?"

"I left him her…to this…for twelve years?" Tony said.

"Did you know…?" Gibbs asked.

"I didn't check…I should have double checked…I should have made her stay until I was sure...I…." Tony stopped and dropped his head in his hands.

Gibbs sat next to Tony and put his arm around his shoulder, "Son, you didn't know…now you do; what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean….?" Tony stood up "You think I'd even consider leaving him here! Of course I'm bringing him home…I…I can do this…Can't I?"

Gibbs said nothing, knowing that Tony needed to get himself straight…"Boss! We only have twelve hours how am I going to get him a Visa and a passport and get him permission to come to the US…?"

Gibbs smiled he had been waiting for Tony to think about this and had already placed a call.

"It's sorted, if you want to bring your son home." Gibbs said.

"If I want….You think I'm gonna leave him here!" Tony raised his voice and thought better of it as Tore flinched in his sleep and Tim moved to be ready if needed.

"I need some air." Tony said and walked to the door.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs warned, but Tony closed the door and left.

* * *

Tim looked up, "How are we gonna get him home?" he asked.

"Hetty." Gibbs replied and Tim nodded, when needed their new SECNAV could and had moved heaven and earth in the past, for her this would be easy.

Gibbs sat down and turned to Tim. "So what happened with Tore while I was gone?"

* * *

Tony walked blindly and found himself outside the offices. He stormed past the security and headed straight for Ziva's office.

Rebecca stood up as Tony walked in, "Director Eshel is not seeing any visitors right now." She said in a loud voice.

Tony opened her door and walked straight in; Ziva finished her call and replaced the receiver. "Anthony." She said flatly and waved Rebecca away.

"How could you do it?" he asked. "I don't care that you did this to me, but why have Tore if you didn't want him…why make a child live like this?"

Ziva laughed, "Why?" she was surprised he had asked, "You rape me, deport me, treat me like a traitor and then expect me to love it, care for it and give it the same status as my own children! It is not a child…it is a thing you left me with after you couldn't keep your drunken hands off me." She snarled.

"I never…you…I would never rape a woman Ziva, You know that!" Tony was outraged, "If I had known I would have taken him in."

"You knew…I told you as I was leaving!" She snarled.

"You told me a lot of things over those eight years, you told me you loved me and you trusted me to have your back!" Tony said planting his hands down on the table and staring at her.

"You were an undercover assignment, the weak link, my easy way in with Gibbs, You had just lost Caitlyn Todd and I knew you'd had feelings for her, I was perfect for your rebound girl. Gibbs's Son, the poor little disowned rich boy of a detective. I did my research well; I needed to destabilize an American federal agency and Ari's little crush on your girl was the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone." She said proudly.

"He was your brother." Tony said "And you killed him, Not Gibbs?"

Ziva smiled "And yet you all accepted my story and accepted me into your life. Not one of you really checked my background, just accepted poor little Ziva David, like your little band of misfits I had daddy issues and Gibbs just accepted it."

Tony sank into the chair stunned, "You played us all this time?"

"I told Gibbs, the first week I was there, I left clues, I had a perfect family, I came here leaving a husband who loves me and," She looked him in the eye, "I have only ever loved him."

"What about C.I Ray ?" he asked.

"Another assignment, he was getting close to my true reasons for being in the US…he was eliminated, Adam is a better shot than Gibbs." She said proudly.

"So, you used us all, why have our son…why put him through all this?" Tony asked.

"Because, it hurt you…you begging like a puppy for me to look at you, touch you, love you…." She said sarcastically, "Did you not realize your father was right, you are nothing, your son is nothing…he is a Traitor to Israel and that is his name, even if you take it with you he will always be a Traitor…" She smiled again, "It's his name."

"I believed you," Tony said his face a mirror of pain, "When you said you loved me, I believed you."

"That, DiNozzo…is because I am good at my job, come on who really loves you…no one, even Wendy the one woman who did love you was smart enough to realize how useless you are and she left you." Ziva walked around him, "Take the trash and get out of my country." She smiled with the irony, this time she was kicking them out.

"You are fucking cold Ziva; I can't believe you did this." Tony got up to leave.

"Here, take the traitors papers with you…and take the boy and go, I hope never to see either of you again." Ziva shoved a manila envelope into his hands and slammed the door on him.

* * *

Storming back to the rooms, Tony walked in and threw the envelope into his bag, "Boss…do we have to wait until the morning…I need to leave now." He said.

Gibbs turned and looked at him, "What happened?"

"I saw Ziva…let's just say we have permission to leave, I will deal with customs when we get home." He said throwing items in the bag.

Gibbs shut the door from their sitting room where Tore was sleeping and Tim was dozing and sat on the bed.

"Tony?"

Tony sat beside him, "She played us all Boss, right from the start, I had hoped there was a reason, she played me, she knew how I felt and she…."

Gibbs wanted to remind Tony that was why he had rule 12, but seeing the sadness on his ex-SFA's face, he knew that was not what he needed to hear, "She said…I raped her, she really believed it…I didn't Boss," Tony looked up desperation written across his face, "You believe me? Don't you?"

"DiNozzo, I honestly think had you done that, we would never have found the body. I'll get Tim and Tore ready, let's go home son."

* * *

Within the hour the plane was taking off Tore clung to the arms of the seat as he left his homeland for his new life…and he was terrified.

 


	6. Chapter 6

For the whole flight back, not once did Tore close his eyes.

Tony looked over at him a few times; he tried to talk to him. But Tore stared at the window, watching first Israel and then the Middle East disappear below them.

Finally, when he could stand it no more Tony reached up and pulled his bag down from the storage compartment he had stored it in and he pulled out the envelope and tipped the contents onto the table that was between him and Gibbs.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked.

"Dunno, Z…she gave it to me, say's it's his papers." Tony said not wanting to mention her name within Tore's earshot.

He opened an envelope and stared stunned… "Boss...it's his birth certificate. She translated all these into English for me…" he was now confused she had made it plain that she didn't care about him but she had done all this?

"Oh…." Tony looked up with tears in his eyes, "He has my initials…." He passed the paper over to Gibbs.

"Adam David DiNozzo, D.O.B. 11th March 2014." Gibbs was stunned. "Adam?" he called.

Tore didn't answer; he clearly didn't know that was his name.

"Wait…B…boss, there's a…another…." Tony held out another two pieces of paper tears falling down his face, "Amelia Danielle DiNozzo, D.O.B. 11th March 2014…and a death certificate for the 15th March the same year. She had twins." He whispered. His heart breaking for the daughter he would never know.

He wondered was this the reason Ziva was the way she was with Tore…Adam…?

* * *

Tony decided he wouldn't mention his daughter to his son yet, maybe he knew and would tell him in his own time, maybe he didn't know and right now two much information would overload him, he could see he was barely holding it together as it was. He grabbed the certificate and walked down and sat in the chair next to his son.

"I found this," he said handing the boy the paper, Adam looked blankly at it. "Can you read?" Tony asked.

"I not read so good not English and a small Hebrew." He said haltingly in English.

"Your name is Adam David DiNozzo." Tony said using the anglicized version of David.

Adam shook his head, "No…my name is Traitore."

Tony lightly touched Adam's arm and focused him on the paper. "ADAM….DAVID….DINOZZO." He said punctuating each word and pointing with his finger. Then pointed at his son, "Adam…you."

Adam smiled (After that Tony didn't need a DNA test) and said an excited sentence in Hebrew and all three men on the plane looked confused. "I…sorry, I say, that I have a real name…like you?"

Tony smiled back, "Anthony Dominic DiNozzo….A.D.D…Too!"

"Sir, how I live in the new country?" he asked.

"You will come home with me…I have a house and we will make a room for you. I am your father; you will live with me from now on." Tony told him slowly.

It was hard going talking between them on the plane, Tony knowing very little Hebrew and Adam knowing very little English.

* * *

Finally Adam settled down and fell asleep and Tony walked over to where Tim and Gibbs were drinking coffee.

"Did he take it ok?" Tim asked.

"No Tim, he jumped out of the plane!" Tony said tiredly and smiled as Gibbs put a coffee in front of him.

"I don't get it Boss, why did she treat him like that, call him that name so often he thinks it's his name and yet give him a nice normal name really and not tell him?"

"Who knows Tony, look…your son is asleep, I suggest we get some sleep in before we land, there's going to be a lot of questions." Gibbs said and settled back within minutes they were all asleep.

Coming into land Tony started to wake up and realized that Adam hadn't been asleep for long, nudging Tim who was reading a book he nodded in Adam's direction. "How long has he been like that?" he asked quietly.

"Pretty much since you fell asleep, he's been looking at the birth certificate and mouthing his new name a few times, I think he's been practicing his English and reading?"

"But he can't read English, he's never learnt?" Tony said and got up and walked over to Adam and strapped himself in the seat for a landing, he went to strap Adam in and realized that for the whole journey Adam had been strapped in.

"We will be landing soon," Tony said.

"In America…yes?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, we will be landing in Washington D.C, that's where we will be living." Tony said and placed his hand on top of Adam's as the plane landed.

* * *

Opening the plane door, Hetty was there with a limousine waiting for them, "Director Gibbs, Mr. DiNozzo, Mr. McGee and I assume you are Mr. DiNozzo?" she asked the shivering boy who stood closer to his father. "Oh, my poor boy, quickly get in and I will give you a blanket." She said.

Adam looked blankly and she repeated her sentence in Hebrew. He nodded and climbed in and sat on the floor as he looked around at the opulence inside the car.

Hetty handed him the blanket and he wrapped it around him.

"You didn't buy him new clothes?" she admonished the men.

"I wanted to just get him out of the country and home safe." Tony admitted.

"I passed the information onto Mrs. McGee." Hetty said.

"Bet that hurt," Tim said with a small smile.

"Quite." Hetty agreed, "Mrs. McGee has apparently gone over with Mr. Dorneget and Miss Baker to get your home ready so I assume that she will have got him some clothes."

"OH GOD!" All three men said at once, the other two looking puzzled.

"Gentlemen, I am sure Mrs. McGee has been tasteful, Also I arranged a Visa, but it still needs a name, I am to drop it off as soon as you are settled."

"Adam, his name is Adam David DiNozzo." Tony said.

"Ah Hyphenated." Hetty went with a pen to write it.

"No DAVID not Day Veed." Tony insisted, "She gave up all rights to him…she should never have had any." Tony looked out of the window as it started to rain.

* * *

Pulling up to the house next door to Gibbs' house on East Laurel Street they all saw Abby waiting with Ned and Clara on the doorstep.

"Boss?" Tony asked and Gibbs nodded and got out.

Tony looked at the floor and realized he would have to carry Adam in, he looked over to tell him and smiled, his son was finally asleep.

Gently he lifted him up and carried him in past Abby who looked wide eyed with Tim's hand over her mouth and looked in disbelief it was really true.

Of course Abby had heard the news when Hetty had arranged for Tony's son to come home and she had organized a work detail telling the team that Tony had a son and he was coming home. They had spent the whole time cleaning and emptying out the larger spare bedroom and got furniture and painted it blue. Abby had got books in Hebrew and in English and a laptop and music system. She had filled the music system with English and Jewish music. She hadn't known what food to get so had brought something of everything.

Knowing Adam was exhausted he looked to Abby who just said, "The room next to yours," and she followed him up the stairs while Ned and Clara were filled in by Gibbs and Tim.

* * *

Abby opened the door to the room and Tony lay his son down on the bed, "My God Abby, you've done a fantastic job."

Abby stared at the boy as he turned and the bruises on his torso became apparent, and she could see he had never worn shoes in his life.

"He was a street kid, but she kept him in the Mossad compound." Tony explained.

Abby gave him a hug, "What his name…Hetty said they called him Traitore…Italian for Traitor?"

Tony nodded, "Ziva gave me his birth certificate he was registered as Adam David DiNozzo…he was a twin…" he said knowing she would get upset if she learned about it later. "Amelia Danielle, she died at a few days old."

"So Ziva loved you really?" Abby asked.

"No," Tony said quickly, "I was a mark a way for her to get close to Gibbs, to infiltrate the team…she…God Abby…" He wrapped his arms around her taking strength from her presence, "She beat him, she neglected him, and she called him that…name…she….he was her son and he was terrified of her, he had her beaten as punishment to other agents. He ate from trash cans, I'm glad I've got him away from that, but I've pulled him halfway across the world what if he hates me?" he asked his voice wobbling.

"He won't hate you…you love him." She said looking at the sleeping boy. "You saved him."


	7. Chapter 7

He was warm…he was warm and wrapped in something soft, he sighed and pulled it closer, he knew he had to be asleep, never had he felt this comfortable or safe.

Safe?

He slowly came back to full wakefulness and opened an eye…he was in a bed.

He screamed and sat up instantly scrabbling out of the bed looking for the danger. He saw a desk and hid underneath it, it wasn't great cover but he could hold his own well enough.

A strange woman walked into the room and started talking to him, "Hey Adam, it's ok, you're safe here, your dad'll be back soon, he just popped out to get you some things…my name is Abby McGee, I won't hurt you either." She said

She backed off and Adam looked down.

"Where…my clothes please?" he asked he was wearing clothes that were not his and he didn't know what was happening.

Abby smiled and sat on the edge of the bed.

Adam shook…Adults and soft beds were dangerous…neither had ever been good for him.

He couldn't help as a terrified tear rolled down his face. Abby looked horrified as she figured out what was scaring him.

"Oh, Adam…sweetheart, what did they do to you?"

She grabbed a plate of pancakes that she had been bringing up off the desk and put the plate a short way away from Adam and backed off like she would have done with a stray dog.

Adam looked at the pancakes, he wasn't sure what they were but they were on a plate, so he wasn't allowed to touch them. He knew this…but the lady had placed them near him, he looked at them and his stomach made a noise that betrayed him.

They smelt delicious.

* * *

He looked at her and then pancakes…if he got out from there and ate one she might grab him and then punish him for taking from a plate. She didn't look mean, she was pretty…but Ima was pretty and she hurt him.

Eventually his hunger won out, as fast as he could he reached out, grabbed a pancake and ducked back under the table to eat it all the time not taking his eyes off of her if she just so much as moved…

But she didn't, she sat smiling at him…Not the cold cruel smile Ima gave him before she punished him, but a kind smile, like Rebecca when she would leave him a bag with a whole sandwich inside, or a carton of juice without the nasty tasting stuff he got before he ended up in places with beds in them.

Abby watched Adam eat and she wanted to just hug him, he reminded her of the animals that sometimes ended up at the shelter she volunteered at after they had been rescued from bad owners. Slowly they had learned to trust humans again and she hoped that he would learn to trust people too.

She had been worried when Tony had told her he had to go to NCIS to make a call from MTAC, she had an idea who he was calling and why, but she had hoped that he would be back before Adam woke up.

She slowly and carefully pushed the plate nearer to Adam, "Hey Adam, do you want some more?" she said and sat back.

He ate two more. On the last one he looked at her like he wanted to ask a question, but didn't know how to ask it. She didn't push she just waited.

"Cold." He said.

"Oh I can warm them up?" Abby said leaning down to reach for the food. Adam flinched.

"No take please? I eat…" Adam grabbed the remaining pancakes and took them under the desk.

He ate them and shivered. Suddenly Abby figured it out, He was cold, of course, and Washington D.C. was a lot colder than Israel.

She stood up and walked out of the room, then stuck her head back in, "It's ok Adam," she said smiling "I will make it warmer for you,"

* * *

He sat there astonished, she had given him food and noticed he was cold…And she was going to make it warm? For him?

She came back with two hot drinks on a tray which she set down in front of him gesturing to him to pick whichever one he wanted. He looked at them and picked one she took the other and drank from it, she handed him a blanket which he pulled over himself and then he took a sip of the hot drink.

His eyes flew open wide; it was without a doubt the most wonderful thing he had ever tasted.

"What?" he asked pointing to the cup.

Abby smiled, "Hot chocolate." She said enunciating each syllable so he could get the word.

"Hot. Choc. O. Latt." He repeated back to her and she nodded.

He said it again, just to make her smile. He like it when she smiled, it was then he realized…He was dead…that had to be it…she was an Angel…if she was an angel and this was Haven, like the men on the street talked about then she had to be here…He remembered, all the pretty Angels end up in Haven.

He got up quickly and ran out of the room

Abby panicked and followed him, "Adam?" she called worried she had scared him.

Adam made it to the front door and opened it going into the street with Abby close on his heels and he stopped as he realized he wasn't in haven, just in a cold, wet town…he had been stupid, of course she wasn't here…or maybe he was dead and this was his punishment.

He sank to his knees and cried, "Puttana?" he cried.

Abby stood shocked, Tony had taught her some Italian and she knew that word. It was not one that she would have ever used and she was shocked.

"Adam?"

"I…I thought she was here…I thought this heaven and Ana was here." He cried.

Tony had walked up on hearing this and it brought up some questions of his own.

If Amelia had died, how come Adam knew about her?

He placed his hand on Adam's shoulder. "Come inside son." He said. Adam turned at his father's guiding hand and walked back up the steps.

* * *

Abby put some slippers on Adam's feet and gave him a blanket as he sat on the couch in the front room.

"Abba?" Adam said and Tony stopped and looked at his son.

"I am sorry." He said then he let out a grin, "Hot Choc. !" he grinned pointing at the cup.

Tony smiled and looked at Abby, "You making your famous Hot chocolate again…I'm in," he said as she went to the kitchen.

He sat next to his son. "Adam…I talked to your Ima…She told me about your sister, she died, I am sorry." He said.

Adam looked confused.

"Your sister is in Heaven." He reiterated.

"Ah yes, Puttana is in Haven…I saw her…Can she come and live with us Abba?"

"People who are in Heaven can't come back…" Tony said confused.

Adam understood, it wouldn't change his opinion, his Abba was a good man, he saved him, and he just didn't want his sister that was all…

He wasn't going to argue, if at any point Abba got mad with him, he might send him back, or worse send him back to Ima.

* * *

Abby had an Idea, she ran round to Gibbs' and grabbed the maps off his shelf and she told him what she was doing he helped her with the books and followed over.

"Hey Boss." Tony said as Gibbs came into the house.

"Abby said you have a logistic problem." Gibbs said

Tony looked at Abby.

She put the books in front of Adam on the table.

Adam looked at the interested, he loved books and knowledge, the lettering on the books was strange, but he knew it was a map book, like they had a Mossad, when he had snuck in at nights with Rebecca to look at books in the library.

"Library?" he asked.

"Maps." Abby corrected him. She spread the maps on the table; the first one was a map of the United States. "Washington, D.C….Here" she pointed at the book and then the floor.

Adam nodded, he got that.

"Israel…There." She pointed at the world map and then a Map of Israel, that Gibbs had had from when Ziva had been a part of the family.

He pointed to the close up version. "Mossad." He said pointing to where it was on the map. "Ima."

Tony nodded.

He went to move the maps and Adam grabbed his hand and focused his attention, this was his last ditched attempt.

He pointed to a blacked out area of the Map about thirty miles from Mossad on the edge of the desert, Haven…Ana…Puttana in Haven…Puttana…Sorella!" he said he looked into his father's eyes and watched as they got wide.

"Your sister is alive?" he asked, "Sorella…Vivente?"

Adam nodded his head.

It suddenly occurred to him that the words that Rebecca had taught him, the strange language had a purpose.

* * *

"Abba? Si fa a parlare questa lingua?" he asked.

Tony sighed, finally a language they could talk in.

"Sì, parlo italiano, chi ti ha insegnato a parlarlo?" he asked.

"Rebecca…She say my father's people speak it." Adam smiled for the first time in total relief. Now he could tell him.

"Volevo dirtelo, ma non sapevo come, Abba, ho una sorella, lei era per strada con me finché Ima ha preso mia sorella a Haven, lei ha detto che c'era lavoro importante da fare per lei; Lei non avrebbe lasciarmi andare Abba, e ho supplicato e supplicato, ma lei ha preso mia sorella via da me, è possibile salvare mia sorella Abba favore?" Adam asked.

Gibbs and Abby stood there stunned, this was the most both of them had heard him speak even though neither understood a word it was obvious that Tony did. They looked at Tony who looked like he had been head-slapped into the next century.

He held his arms open and hugged his son.

"We will find her…." Tony said holding his son tight.

"Boss, she's alive, Amelia is alive, Ziva sent her to some place called Haven."

Gibbs nodded and understanding what it was Tony needed to do, he opened his phone before he made the calls he needed to make he turned to his SIC, "DiNozzo, you will get what you need to get her home, everything I can swing for you I will, but we need to plan this, we can't go onto foreign soil to rescue and Israeli national from Israel"

Tony understood, "I need some time alone with my son, Boss." Tony asked and Gibbs and Abby went to the living room as Tony walked upstairs with Adam.

"Abba?" Adam asked as he walked into his room

Tony patted the bed and Adam sat down.

"I need your help." Tony said.

* * *

Translations.

Father, do you speak this language?

Yes, I speak Italian. Who taught you to speak it?

I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how, Abba, I have a sister. She was on the streets with me until Ima took her to Haven, She said that there was important work for her to do; she wouldn't let me go Abba. I begged and pleaded but she took my sister away from me. Can you save my sister Abba, please?

 


	8. Chapter 8

Abby and Gibbs sat downstairs trying to take in all the information that they had just learnt.

"Gibbs, how could she do this to Tony, she knew how much this would mean to him, he always wanted to be a better parent than his father, and she took that away from him." Abby said unable and unwilling to stop the tears that were flowing down her face.

Gibbs hugged her, "Abbs, None of us know why she did this, the best thing we can do now is to support Tony and help him figure out a way of getting his daughter home so we can fix his family,"

She looked up and nodded, "I'll get Tim, to see what we can get from MTAC on Haven, if you have no objections Director Boss?" She grinned.

"No, I'll talk to Tony when he comes back down." Gibbs said as Abby went off to call Tim.

Tony walked down and sat heavily on the chair, "Boss…I need to go and get her back, you saw how they treated Adam, and I'd hate to leave her there any longer than I have to."

"I'm having Tim got to MTAC and set us up some satellite time to see what we can get of this Haven that Adam talked about, do you think he will help?" Gibbs asked.

"I explained it to him and he has offered to come in to NCIS with me tomorrow and show me on the maps exactly where Haven is."

"Did he get to sleep alright?" Gibbs asked.

Tony smiled, "Yeah, now the language barrier thing is all cleared up, we had a talk…not the long one, the one I want to have, but a nice one, he knows he will never be sent away from me, I am his father and I won't hurt him or abandon him, he knows I love him and will do all in my power to get his sister back. Boss, I'm worried though, we know why Ziva did what she did with Adam, but there was a death certificate in there for Amelia, Adam says Ziva never talked about her…That Adam, Ziva's Adam was the one he only ever saw with Amelia and he called her…." Tony couldn't say it.

"Abby told me, and what the word means, that's nasty." Gibbs said.

"Adam shortened their names, his was Tore and hers was Ana, he would see her when he slept at the back of Haven, she would sneak out to give him food. He knows the layout as far as her room…But Boss, Haven….it's…it's a brothel, Adam says no one has touched her yet, I need to get her out before they do, they are grooming my kid Boss."

Gibbs gut clenched, he vowed there and then, that they would get Tony's daughter back, untouched and safe if he had anything to say about it.

Gibbs' phone rang and he took the call in the kitchen, walking back in he noticed DiNozzo trying to stay awake, he had hardly slept since realizing he was a father and the toll was wearing on the younger man.

He leant down and put a hand on his shoulder, "Tony…That was Tim, we got satellite time at 07.25 tomorrow, go get some rest son, there's nothing more we can do till tomorrow."

Tony nodded climbing the stairs to his room, "Boss?"

"I'm going home, I'll be right next door if you want me." He said.

"I know, I was gonna say lock up on ya way out, I have precious stuff here now boss, gotta keep the door locked," He said tiredly as he turned to go up the stairs.

"Yes you do DiNozzo," Gibbs agreed quietly, turning he called to Abby, "Coming Abbs?" he asked as they both left the house Gibbs locking up after him.

* * *

The girl woke up, it was 4am and time for her to start her day, she went down to the kitchens and lit the fire's for the cooking pots, and warmed up the ovens ready for the mistress of the kitchens to come down and start the orders for the girls.

The mistress walked in, "Hurry up Ana, the patrons will arise soon!" she scolded gently and ushered the girl out of the door.

After that she walked up and down the corridors, picking up the discarded clothing that belonged to the residents for laundry. Any shoes that were there obviously did not belong to the girls' they were not allowed such luxuries and she would place them tidily next to the nearest door hoping that they would have an owner behind the door.

A large Arab man walked up behind her as she struggled with her load, he picked her up and turned her around, kissing her roughly on the mouth as she looked sadly at him, "Thank you sir," she said as she had been instructed to do. She waited until he had finished touching her up and he laughingly threw her to the ground, "I will request you when you have grown some more, Puttana. Maybe, after next week your Patron will share." The man laughed.

She smiled shyly ash she had been taught, "And I will look forward to doing my best for you Sir," she replied.

He walked off and she turned back to her chores, taking the laundry down to the laundry room she slipped out the back, "Tore?" she called quietly, hoping her friend would be there. There was no answer, she shot off a quick prayer to God that her friend, her brother was safe although he usually would turn up hurt if he wasn't there that day. She looked in the space where they kept things, the picture had been taken, Tore had said he was her brother and that those people in the picture were her parents, but she hadn't believed him.

* * *

Her patron, the man who was paying to keep her here had told her both her parents were dead, her mother had been a spy who had collaborated with the enemy and her father had been the enemy, Israel was at war, as the daughter of a spy her Patron had saved her as a baby and one day she would repay his kindness in letting her live, she knew the other patrons in Haven could do no more than the Arab had just done, unless her Patron ordered her to, he would kill anyone that tried.

He came to see her once a week and she would learn to please him and him only.

Sometimes he would just look at her, sometimes he would sit and brush her hair, sometimes he was more demanding and forceful, but never…never had he yet done anything like what the older girls went through, although soon that was to change…next week. Next week she was to turn thirteen, Next week she was to be his. She knew this and she was scared.

She would not however disappoint her patron, he had seen her once talking to Tore, she had been beaten for hours until she had bled and had been unable to cry as all the fight and pain had left her.

He had then held her and consoled her for hours, kissing her head and her body where she had been hit, he had told her she should not have angered him, it was her fault and she knew it.

He healed her, he loved her and she was only his. She knew it was not only because of her parentage which he brought up a lot, saying she looked like 'his Ziva but pure' she was different to the other girls, her skin was lighter and she had emerald green eyes that other patrons admired until the mistress told them her name.

All knew that Puttana belonged to the all powerful Adam Eshel.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Never before had Mossad seen such a thing, in years to come people would talk about this day, the day that the dreaded Director of Mossad met her most feared foe.

Was it Hamas?

Was it the PLO?

Was it Al Qaeda?

No…It was Anthony Dmitri DiNozzo, Junior. Accompanied by a small woman from the United States; whom people in power feared and Ali-Ben Harib; the Israeli defense minister. The latter two followed in the wake of the tall Italian American who walked past the waiting guards, knocking one to the ground on his quest to meet with Director Eshel.

* * *

Ziva was on the phone when he stormed in, knocking one of the doors of its hinges in his anger.

Ziva replaced the receiver and raised an eyebrow at him, "You will have to pay to replace that Tony." She snapped.

"Be glad it's the door and not your neck." Tony growled.

"Did you bring it back?" Ziva asked her voice not betraying the knot in her gut.

"If by it, you mean our son, NO! You will NEVER get near him again," Tony spat.

"So why are you here…" She asked bored.

"I'm here for Amelia." Tony said flatly.

"You saw the certificates, Amelia is dead." Ziva looked genuinely upset.

"Oh my God! You are so cold, you fake a death certificate and expect me to believe that while you keep her locked up in that….that….whore house, you allow her to stay there even knowing what they will do to your child!" Tony was astounded as was the defense secretary and Hetty standing behind him.

Ziva stood and for the first time looked Tony in the eye.

"I'm cold?" She snapped. "I make arrangements for you to come here and rescue Trai…."

"His name is Adam." Tony snapped.

"Adam, so that he would not be sent to…to Haven and you come back trying to convince me that our dead daughter is there? What kind of sick game are you playing?" She sat tiredly in the chair.

"I am not playing, Adam knows Amelia is alive and that she is called Puttana and she is in Haven, Haven is run by Mossad and you know that she is there…if anyone has touched her I swear to God Ziva….."Tony left the threat hanging in the air.

"She's dead! I saw her corpse, you are a lying, evil man Tony DiNozzo and I wish I had never met you!" Ziva snapped.

Tony pulled a picture out of his pocket and placed it on the table along with a piece of paper in Hebrew.

"This is a court order, granting us access to Haven and the immediate custody of Amelia Danielle DiNozzo. You will take us there now and you will let me have my daughter."

Ziva huffed, "You are wasting your time Tony, and I buried her, this is obviously a faked picture. But I will go along with you on your little foal's errand."

Tony didn't rise to the bait he just turned on his heels and walked out to the car, the guard from earlier jumping out of the way. Ziva, Hetty and Ali Harib followed them and all climbed into the car for the forty minute drive to Haven.

* * *

The trail was dusty and Hetty managed to keep composed, while Ziva smirked at Tony coughing in the dust, even though she knew it irritated his damaged lungs.

He sipped a bottle of water and tried to take easier breaths.

"Are you alright Agent DiNozzo?" Ali asked concerned.

"I am fine thank you Mr. Secretary, I had an illness a while back and the dust irritates my lungs."

"Ah yes, I read in a medical journal about a man in America, he had the plague, at least you did not have that no?" he laughed.

Tony straight faced looked at him, "Actually, I did."

"No!" Ali was shocked, "And yet to come to this dusty climate?"

"For my child…How could I not." Tony replied.

* * *

The convoy of two dark SUV's pulled up outside the dry mud-caked building.

Tony got out and knocked on the door.

A young woman scantily dressed answered.

"You have an appointment sir?" she asked.

"I have a court order." Tony snapped.

The girl moved back and stopped as she saw Ziva, "Director Eshel, Ma'am, would you like me to let your husband know you are here?" she asked.

Ziva looked shocked, "Adam is here?"

"Of course, it is training day for his girl?" The young woman, Serafina told her.

"I am here to see Puttana." Ziva ordered.

"Yes mistress, but I just said she is being trained."

"What room?" Tony asked.

"Down the hall the last one, But Mr. Eshel gives orders, no matter what we hear we are not to enter when he is in with her."

Tony went quickly followed by the others down the hall.

Halfway down he could hear screaming and he broke into a run.

Kicking the door down he pulled a gun from the small of his back and aimed it at Adam who was whipping the girl as she stood naked crying.

"Don't move or I will shoot you."

Adam grinned "You have no authority here American; this piece of filth is mine to do as I wish with her."

"I do!" Both Ziva and Ali said at the same time.

Amelia grabbed what was left of her dress and covered herself as she turned and looked into two familiar faces.

"Abba? Ima?" she whispered and then flinched as Adam snarled at her.

* * *

Ziva's eye went wide and she felt the tears welling up in her, "Amelia? You are alive…no, this is a trick, Adam you wouldn't do this to me?" she was shocked to the core.

Amelia backed away she had never had so many people in her master's room before and she felt afraid.

Tony crouched down seeing the fear in her eyes, "Amelia, do you want to find Tore? He is missing you and he really is your brother." He told her.

"Tore?" Amelia nodded.

"She needs clothes." Tony said to Hetty who went to find something.

Ziva had stood stock still watching Tony with Amelia, suddenly she realized what she had done and what she had lost.

"She's mine, I have her perfect, you can't have her!" Adam snapped.

"She is a child!" Ziva said, "She is my child."

"SHE IS YOUR BETRAYAL AND SHE IS MINE, BY RIGHT, YOU BETRAYED ISRAEL AND ME I WILL HAVE HER!" Adam screamed grabbing towards the girl who on instinct dropped to her knees.

"Master," She breathed dropping her head down and putting her arms behind her back ready for him.

Tony grabbed her up and wrapped her in a blanket, "You will stay away from her." He said turning and carrying her out with a small smile as he heard Ziva and Adam screaming at each other in Hebrew.

* * *

Ali winced, "You should be glad you cannot understand all of that, I will have this place closed down and will deal with Adam and Director Eshel."

Tony looked sad for a moment as he placed Amelia in the car, he worried for her children, but he knew Ziva had some good relatives that would take care of them, "Mr Secretary, if her children need anything in the future, or you cannot find kind homes for them please call me." He said shaking the man's hand and thanking him for the help with the courts.

"Why would you help them?" Ali asked curious.

"They are only children, and are the siblings of my children; I will be there if they need me." He said.

Hetty got in the front seat and Tony sat in the back his arm around a stiff Amelia, as they headed to the airport.

* * *

In Washington Adam paced around his room looking at the cell phone his father had left him. He had said that he would call as soon as his sister was safe. Hardly daring to sleep; just catnapping for the last few days' Adam hadn't left the room for anything other than the bathroom.

Gibbs brought him some food up and as they had learned to do, he left it on the table and walked out hearing the lock click. Tony had installed it so that Adam would feel safe while he was away.

The phone rang and Adam picked it up. "Ciao? Padre?" he said quickly.

He listened as Tony rapidly told him in Italian that he had found Amelia and they were already on a plane coming home.

"È lei sicuro? hanno fatto a farle del male?" he asked his heart pounding.

He listened to the answer and hung up, he crumpled to the ground with relieved sobs.

"Adam….is everything ok?" Gibbs asked

"Padre trovò Amelia, lei è illesa e stanno venendo a casa." He breathed smiling.

"That's so good, Bueno?" Gibbs asked.

Adam nodded.

In less than a day Adam and Amelia would be reunited.

* * *

Tony sat on the plane next to Hetty watching Amelia with her legs up in the seat curled into a ball watching them.

"Thank you, I could not have pulled this off without your help." He admitted.

"It is a pleasure, I hope she will be ok, I know a great Therapist that could help." She handed him, Nate Getz's card.

Tony smiled at the name; he had met the man once or twice and liked him. He moved over to sit next to his daughter.

"I know this must seem strange to you?" Tony started.

Amelia nodded, "My master said he would have me first and then ship me off, did I displease him?" She looked so sad her large green eyes filled with tears.

Tony looked at his daughter; a feeling of dread hit the back of his throat threatening to come up with the next question he knew he had to ask.

"Did he touch you, inappropriately?" He asked.

She looked confused, "I belong to my Master, he may touch me as he wishes." She replied.

Tony looked at Hetty for a way to ask the question without upsetting himself or his daughter, "Just ask, there is no easy way Mr. DiNozzo and you want, no you need, to know." She told him.

Tony gulped and nodded forcing back his own tears.

"Did he….did he…?"

Amelia looked at him confused, "Did he touch you, did he…."

Blankly she looked at him, Then the light dawned, "Oh you are asking if My master took me first….Of course Sir, it is his right after all I am his property," She said this all matter of fact, and Tony got up and walked to the back of the cabin, stifling the urge to scream or cry out.

* * *

Amelia looked sad as he got up, "Ma'am Have I displeased my new master?" she asked.

"No, no, no," Hetty shook her head as Tony ran up and held her.

"Amelia, you are not my property, I am your father and you are my child, no one will ever touch you in any way that you don't want again." He promised.

Amelia looked up a small smile graced her face and Tony felt like he had won the state Lotto. "Really?" she asked, "I am not to do for you?"

"No, the only thing I want you to do is sleep now and rest then you can start your real life as the happy child I know you will be." Tony promised.

Hetty phone rang as Tony made a bed for Amelia on the plane and tucked her in.

She closed it as Tony sat down, "She will need a medical as soon as we land and I will have to sort out counseling for her." Hetty nodded agreeing with him.

"You still have some rough roads ahead, I thought you would like to know, that was Ali, Director Eshel has just been arrested for the murder of her husband."

Tony thought back, "Do you think she planned this whole thing, that maybe she didn't know Amelia was alive and that Adam was playing her?"

"Who knows Mr. DiNozzo?" Hetty said looking out of the plane window as they left Israel far behind them.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Having arrived back in the US the first thing Tony did with Hetty was to take Amelia to Bethesda.

He stood outside her room as a team went over his childs injuries, He had called Gibbs and he was on his way to bring Adam to the hospital to reunite him with his sister.

A doctor in blue scrubs and looking confused walked out to see Tony and Hetty sitting on chairs outside the room, "Excuse me? Are you Amelia DiNozzo's father?" she asked.

Tony looked up exhausted and nodded.

"You reported that she had possibly been raped?" she asked.

Sadly, again Tony nodded, the doctor smiled, "I think I may have news for you."

"Oh God, she…she isn't pregnant is she?" he asked.

The doctor smiled wider, "She isn't, she has her hymen intact, she hasn't…er been violated, in that way at all, I gather from her accent she is not from here? Maybe a few things got mixed up in translation?"

Tony could help but let out a sob of relief.

* * *

Gibbs walked in and saw Tony crying.

"Is she ok?" Gibbs asked worried.

"She's ok…" he smiled, "I thought, Gibbs, I thought that she had been…." He sighed and leaned into Gibbs' hug.

"She's home and she's ok….Tony, both your children are alive and are home."

"Ana….Ana is here?" Adam said in his broken English, Tony nodded and got up as Adam walked through the doors and stopped dead.

"Ana! You are well and here!" Adam said in Hebrew.

Ana's face brightened up, "Tore!" She launched herself off of the bed and into his arms, "You are alive." She smiled.

"I am and my name is Adam now, yours is Amelia, the man who brought you here…he is our father, the man from the picture," He said to her in Hebrew.

Tony stood at the door watching his two children chat to each other, their faces animated and happy. Adam said something to Amelia and she stopped and looked at Tony.

"Abba?" she asked and Adam nodded.

She slowly stood, her back still giving her pain, although the painkillers were helping. She looked up at him and asked, "I...Stay with you and Tore…Adam...Brother?" she asked.

Tony walked over and sat on the bed gently next to her, "You stay with me and Adam. I'm your Abba, I love you." He said earnestly.

She looked at him and said something to Adam.

Tony held his breath and watched her, she turned to her father and hugged him, "Thank you for saving me from…." she broke down sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her, shushing her and Adam came up to hug her as well.

Gibbs leant against the door and watched as the family held each other crying. He knew this wasn't grief, this was relief they were finally together as a family.

Feeling out of place he turned to go.

"Dad?" Tony's voice made him stop in his tracks. "Don't go." His voice was quiet as he held is children, but his eyes were fixed on Gibbs. "Please, I…I can't do this without you."

Gibbs walked over and smiled, "You have only been at this a few days, in Amelia's case a few hours and you are already a better parent than…." he trailed off not wanting to say her name in front of the children.

* * *

Tony turned to his children, "Adam, sto andando con Gibbs per un momento, vuoi stare con tua sorella?" he asked as Gibbs looked on.

Adam clutched his sister tighter, "Sì papà io, si sarà tornato?" he asked a tremor of fear in his voice.

"Sempre. Vado a prendere del caffè e di trovare il medico di Amelia per vedere quando possiamo tornare a casa assieme." Tony said holding his son's shoulders and looking him right in the eye so that Adam knew his words were true.

Adam relaxed and smiled. "OK." He turned and translated the conversation into Hebrew so that Amelia understood.

Tony walked out and Gibbs looked at him questioningly.

Tony sighed, "We are going to have to do something about this language barrier thing." He said.

Gibbs laughed, "You don't speak Hebrew, both your children speak broken English and your son and you only speak Italian….ya think!"

Tony grinned, "Conversations are going to be interesting."

"Not for long, Hetty has arranged a private tutor for the children to teach them English, this woman speaks Hebrew and Italian and she has been checked by Hetty so she is safe."

"I can't afford a private tutor. I have to get…" Tony sank into a chair, "Even with what I have saved I'm not earning enough to completely kit out two…Boss! They are going to be teenagers in a few days! I have to get them fully kitted out, sort out two rooms, and schools and college and…" Tony started hyperventilating.

Gibbs bent Tony's head between his knees and rubbed his back as the man he had always thought of as his son had his first, full on panic attack. "Welcome to parenthood." He said with a small grin.

* * *

Tony sat back, "How am I going to do this? I mess up and they will be taken from me, I don't know how to be a parent…"

"You've done pretty well so far." Gibbs said.

"I…I suppose." Tony said,

Gibbs looked up at him, "Did you call your father?"

Tony nodded, but continued to look at the floor.

"Tony…What happened?"

"He said he didn't want anything to do with…street kids, that I was no son of his for going to get them and that it would be best if I never contacted him again…oh and he's getting married again." Tony finished with a laugh, "It's a nice woman with two son's who are both in business and successful," Tony gulped, "He's even adopting them so they can have his name…he…he asked me to change mine."

Gibbs sat in shock, "Really!"

Tony sighed, "His lawyer is drafting up a letter requesting me to 'drop' the DiNozzo from mine and my children's names, and he has suggested that I use Paddington."

Gibbs resisted the urge to smash his fist into the wall.

"It'll be ok." He said and put his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"He….He said I may not be his…son, I'll admit right now I don't want to be, but how can I get my children to find their identities and settle in if I don't know who I am."

"We will sort it, I promise." Gibbs said.

Tony looked at Gibbs and saw the man's absolute faith in him. He nodded; he knew he would do it, he just wasn't sure how.

After meeting with the doctor, Tony, his children and Gibbs finally returned home.

* * *

Tony tucked both Kids in bed, Adam in his own room and Amelia in Tony's room, having had Adam explain that it was only Amelia sleeping in there and that Tony himself would sleep downstairs.

Tony sat at the table knowing both children were safe and grabbed a box from his desk in the living room.

Pulling out his accounts he started trying to figure out how he was going to afford to raise two teenagers on his salary and afford to give them both a decent birthday.

Amelia needed everything, Clothes, shoes, a whole bedroom and bedding, books, pens', a cell phone (although he wasn't sure how rule 3 works if she can't speak English, but soon it would be needed) stuff for school, soon she would have interests and friends and would want make up….Oh and feminine hygiene products….he made a note to call Abby. But no matter how he tried it he couldn't make the numbers up to start parenthood from scratch with teenage twins. He opened a file, full of different offers he had received from different agencies over the years, and then closed it, after all the help that SecNav and Gibbs had given him, he was never leaving NCIS. His only other option was a part-time job.

He finally fell asleep face first on top of all his calculations after coming to the conclusion, he couldn't afford to do this, he had had a chance while he had access to his trust fund, but his father had cut that money off, he was alone, the father of twins with issues that needed medical and psychiatric care. These were his kids and his bills, having made a few phone calls he had an idea of how he was going to cope.

* * *

Gibbs had given Tony a few weeks to settle in with his kids and get the hang of being a single parent; he had been nearby if needed, but Tony had asked for the time to settle into his new role and to be given space.

Today was his first day back at work. The children had a private tutor for now, to help them get up to speed before they started school. Hetty had offered to pay for the tutor, but Tony had turned her down offering to pay the woman himself.

Gibbs had arrived at work early looking forward to seeing Tony turn up.

He walked in and dropped his bag behind his desk looking tired. Gibbs smiled at him as he looked up ready to hear all about his new kids. Tony walked upstairs, "Hey boss." He said.

"So how are they?" Gibbs asked.

"They are fine, Miss Atkins said that they are picking up English really well, Amelia is sleeping through the night now as is Adam, and I think they have settled in well." Tony said.

Gibbs smiled, "I'll have to pop over and see them soon."

Tony started, "er…Ok Boss, yeah of course you can come and see them…"

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs said.

Tony's phone rang and he listened to the call, "gotta go boss."

"Gear up!" He called to his team over the railings.

They headed out to the crime scene, Gibbs looked at his SIC of the MCRT and his gut churned.

They came back and started working on the case, Tim was gathering evidence as Dorneget and Baker ran down leads. All three of them were looking into the death of Petty Officer Martinez as Tony walked into the bullpen.

"Pack up, go home and I'll see you all first thing tomorrow." Tony said the whole team looked at him amazed.

"Boss?" Baker said, "It's only 17.30"

"Yeah, well Martinez ain't gonna get any more dead and some of us have places to be." Tony snapped grabbing his own bag and walking out.

Tim looked up and, noticing Gibbs on the mezzanine signed, 'Is he ok boss?'

Gibbs signed back 'Dunno, I'm going to follow him,' as he jogged to the elevator to catch up to DiNozzo.

He got to his car just as Tony got to his and followed him out of the lot, His gut was going crazy, maybe one of the kids were sick, but Tony wasn't headed towards his home.

He pulled over to a side street as Tony got out of his car and walked into a seedy dive bar in downtown Washington. Gibbs' cell rang and he picked it up.

"Gibbs." He said and listened. "He's at a bar McGee, send the others home and head to his place, make sure the kids are ok, something is going on with him and I need to know they are ok." He shut the phone and walked into the dark bar.

Sitting at the bar he couldn't see Tony anywhere. "Bourbon." He said without looking at the bartender.

"On it boss." Tony replied without thinking.

* * *

Translations.

1 Adam, I am going with Gibbs for a moment, will you stay with your sister.

2 Yes dad, I will. Will you come back?

3 Always. I am going to get some coffee and to find Amelia's doctor to see when we can go home.

 


	11. Chapter 11

Gibbs looked up in surprise as Tony stopped dead, he had known that DiNozzo was in there, but he had assumed that he was in the back, drinking.

Tony shot Gibbs a look and poured his drink. "Tony?" Gibbs asked.

Tony turned and walked up to another customer and poured him a beer.

"If you ain't ordering I ain't talking, not paid to chat, Boss." Tony snapped.

A large man holding a crate of beer looked over at the pair, "DiNardo, you need to flush those taps. Don't pay ya to chat up customers."

"You wanna talk boss, my shift ends in six hours." Tony said.

"DINARDO!" The large man's voice yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Tony yelled back and went off to do as ordered.

Gibbs leaned against the bar as he watched Tony work, "He been working here long?" Gibbs asked the large guy.

Mike Moretti looked at the older man who hadn't taken his eyes of the bartender all night.

"Just a few weeks, why?" Mike asked suspicious.

"Always the same shifts?" Gibbs asked.

"Does the seven till three am shift, he's only working till midnight tonight though, should tell ya, I don't think he's into guys if that's why you're asking." Mike admitted.

Gibbs choked a little on his drink, smiling Mike refilled it.

Gibbs sat there thinking, DiNozzo was in at 05.30-06.00 every weekday morning, which meant he was getting on average two hours sleep a night, maybe less. What the hell was he playing at?

Tony came up his t-shirt grubby from the cellar and a grease mark across his forehead.

"You still here?" he groused at Gibbs, he was tired and the damn pipes had got stuck on him again, he'd had to physically wrestle with one of them to get it back on the tap.

Mike glared at his bartender, Tony shrugged, "I get worse glares from him, so you two been swapping stories?" he asked.

"You know this guy then?" Mike asked.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't know you swung that way kid!" Mike said surprised.

Tony, who had been swigging a bottle of water spat it out and burst into laughter, "My God MIKE!" he exclaimed, "That's just…..EW…..NO!"

Gibbs just smirked.

Mike held his hands up, "Hey I'm an open minded guy!"

"MIKE…NO! Really No...He's like my dad!" Tony started coughing and in an instant Mike saw what Tony meant, Gibbs was at his side rubbing his back.

"You got your inhaler?" Gibbs asked fishing in his own pocket for the spare he kept on him at all times.

Tony used it gratefully, "Thanks Boss."

"Boss?!" Mike asked.

"I'm his boss, he works for me."

Mike demeanor instantly changed. "You moonlighting on me DiNardo?"

"Not anymore, I take it I'm fired," Tony sighed, remembering the spiel that Mike had given him when he had taken on the job.

"Sorry, I can't take on moonlighters, IRS would have my ass." Mike said genuinely sorry, "But you ever quit working for him, you look me up."

Tony grabbed his jacket, "I may be back sooner than you think." He said and walked out of the door with Gibbs following behind.

* * *

The second they hit the parking lot, Tony whirled on Gibbs. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a second job in this town?" he yelled.

"You don't need a second job; you need to be looking after your kids." Gibbs said back.

Tony stopped and looked at Gibbs like he had grown a second head, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!" he yelled.

"Your kids need you at home, with them, not working all day." Gibbs said.

"You don't know….you have no idea….I I can't…." Tony sat on the hood of his car.

"You've been a parent a month and you can't cope?" Gibbs said, he would never have thought Tony would disown his own kids, not after all he'd done.

"Fuck off." Tony spat and looked for his keys. "I'll am doing the best for my kids." He got the door open.

"How is this, 'the best for them', have you seen them in the last month?"

"Of course I've seen them!" Tony snapped back

"Awake?" Gibbs asked.

Tony stopped, he had left notes for them, but he hadn't actually seen them awake. He'd even just left them Cake and a card on this morning, with matching notebooks as journals, like the therapist had suggested they had to write about their own experiences and feelings. It hadn't been what he wanted but it was what he could afford.

"No…" he said quietly, he knew in this way he was failing his children, but he was trying. Therapists, private tutors, kitting out two thirteen year olds from scratch, all of that had used up his savings, he was glad he had paid the mortgage off on his house, but food and bills ate up the rest of his money. Since the access to his trust fund had stopped he had already gone $13000 into the red. "You don't understand." He sighed.

* * *

Gibbs looked at Tony, he was hurting that much was certain, "When did you last eat?" he asked.

Tony looked at confused, "What?"

"Food DiNozzo."

Tony shrugged, he ate from vending machines, but the house food was for the kids. "Lunchtime," he said.

"Nutterbutter, I saw," Gibbs replied, "I meant a meal…proper food."

Tony grabbed his keys, "I eat."

"Tony talk to me what the hell is going on?" Gibbs pushed.

"I'm broke and I am trying to pay for the things the kids need, The DNA test with 'my father' came back, I'm not his son, I have no access to him or the family anymore, my kids are traumatized and need private tutors and therapy that cost money, I am not Senior, I won't fail them…I had a letter through, I am to disassociate myself from the DiNozzo name, so I'm using an old alias, but who I am, to try to give an identity to two children when I don't know who I am!" Tony collapsed back against the car door.

Gibbs took the keys out of his hand and locked up his car, half carrying Tony he got him into his truck and drove him to the diner he got his coffee from every morning.

Tony sat in a booth in the back looking totally broken.

Gibbs ordered him food and coffee.

Eileen place a bowl of soup in front of the man and looked at Gibbs with a slight smile, Tony attacked the soup like he hadn't eaten in a month, which in truth he really hadn't, not properly.

"There's free refills on the soup, so you can have as much as you like." She smiled and left them to their talk.

Gibbs nodded at her and took a sip of his coffee. He knew she was lying about the soup refill but appreciated the gesture towards his boy…his agent.

* * *

After Tony had eaten three bowls Gibbs turned to him, "Do you have any idea who your father is?"

Tony laughed, "I know exactly who my father is…Senior made a point of telling me….I'm a bloody Macaluso!"

Gibbs nearly dropped his cup, "Mike Macaluso…the mob boss you took down?"

"My father, I knew he knew my mother way back when…no wonder I got accepted into the family so easily."

"I…I went to see him, I don't know why…"

Gibbs held tighter to his cup.

"Dear old Dad, he tried to get me to break him out and join the family," Tony said. "Wants to meet the kids,"

Gibbs' knuckles went white.

"Not gonna happen." Tony clarified and Gibbs let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Had to change our surnames though, DiNozzo's court order, been using DiNardo for a week, got my birth certificate through this morning, getting Macaluso I.D. tomorrow, was gonna bring you the paperwork."

"You need to sleep Di…Tony." Gibbs said,

"I need to find another job." Tony insisted, "Don't have time to sleep." He said his eyes already drooping.

Gibbs helped him into his truck and drove home, thinking about all he had learned.

He looked over to see his boy asleep in the passenger seat looking a lot younger than he was.

"Don't care who your father is, you're my boy." Gibbs said to himself.

"Love you too dad." Tony murmured in his sleep.

Pulling up in front of Tony's house he looked at him. No matter what he was going to be there for him, and his family.

* * *

Adam and Amelia looked up as Tony walked into the house with Gibbs, surprised to see their father they hugged him and sat down on the sofa with him. "We missed you Papa." Adam said.

"I missed you both too, I will try to be home more, I promise." Tony said.

"Thank you for our birth day presents…they were love er ly." Amelia said in her broken English, Tony looked at her; he was amazed how much her English had improved.

Adam showed Gibbs the Cards they had gotten and the paperbacked journals the twins had with matching pens, which Tony had obviously liberated from the supply cupboard. Tony gave Gibbs a feeble smile and Gibbs nodded.

"Happy Birthday kids." Tony kissed both of his children on the head and Adam got the cake out, "Miss Atkins said this was for us and we were to eat it as a family." Adam said.

Tony shared the cake giving Gibbs and the twin's bigger slices than he had.

Gibbs looked at the front of Adam's note book. Adam David Macaluso. Was written in big letters.

"So they know?"

"I won't lie to my kids. They don't know who their grandfather is, or what he does. They know I just found out and that it is our name now, I won't hide from them." Tony insisted. "And I am proud not to be a DiNozzo."

Gibbs turned to the kids, "So your birthday huh…you wait till your party."

Tony choked on his piece of cake. "Er…Boss…" he started.

"You think you can stop Abby throwing them a party."

"I…I can't afford it." Tony panicked.

"Macaluso, If you can put up with me, you gonna let this grandparent pay for your twins first birthday party."

"Boss?"

"Macaluso, is 'away' and will be for a while, I have a trust fund I started for Kelly, I'd like to put it towards the kid's college education, and I have some savings and let's face it, you've been like my son for years, I just wanna help son."

"Thanks? Dad?" Tony said and grinned as Gibbs hugged him.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Tony walked into the bullpen and dropped his bag behind his desk, "Long night Boss?" Baker asked sitting at her desk.

"Something like that." He snapped. He stopped as Gibbs came down the stairs with coffee and two boxes, "What's that boss?" he asked.

"Breakfast; and I have your new credentials, Macaluso." Tony took the coffee gratefully, "Hey boss you added all my crap." He said savoring the taste of the sugar and hazelnut creamer.

"Yeah, don't forget to eat lunch and Dinner is at my house with the kids later." He said.

"Yeah boss,"

"You lot as well, Dinner, my house 6pm." Gibbs said as he turned to go upstairs.

"Yes Boss," The three of them chorused.

Tim watched as Gibbs went back upstairs and Tony started eating the breakfast burrito Gibbs brought him.

"That'll make you fat boss," Tim kidded.

Tony looked stricken and went to stop eating.

Gibbs' voice bellowed across the bullpen, "Leave him alone McGee! Tony, Eat!"

"Yes boss." His boys chorused, the other agents giving a knowing smile.

* * *

Tim leaned on Tony's desk… "Do we have a case boss?" he asked concerned. "I thought I heard him mention Macaluso…are you in danger?"

Tony leaned back, "Campfire." He said and moved to the center of the bullpen.

"Ok so you are hearing this from me first," Tony said and then turned to Tim "and  **you,** are telling Abby."

"I've had some family issues, it turns out that I am not the son of Anthony DiNozzo senior."

"Congratulations." Tim said knowing how much Senior had ruined Tony's life.

"OK Probie, here comes the kicker, it turns out that my biological father is Mike Macaluso."

"NO!" Tim stood back shocked.

"Yeah, so DiNozzo insisted I stop using the family name and as I know who my father is, I have to use his last name." Tony said with a grin.

"So?" Tim said looking at his watch

* * *

Tony nodded at his SFA as the two other team members looked on confused.

"Five, Four, Three, Two, one….." Tony and Tim said and pointed to the elevator, which dinged and a red faced and furious Fornell came stomping into the bullpen.

"DiNutso!" He growled.

"DiNotso." Tony grinned, of all the bad things that had happened recently he'd been looking forward to correcting Fornell on the pronunciation of his old name.

"What? Never mind," Fornell waved him away,

"So what can I do you for Tobias?"

"Off to meet Gibbs for lunch…." Fornell said. "But I heard a rumor, maybe you can help me, one in which Mike Macaluso had a kid and he's working for NCIS."

Tony grinned "So I heard?"

"You not worried he will spin the secrets to his old man?" Fornell said, he may have been retired but he still kept tabs on that case.

"I can honestly say 100% that I have no worries in that regard whatsoever." Tony said.

Fornell looked at him strangely as Gibbs came down from his office, "McGee, Macaluso, if you wanna finish up in time for Abby's party I need some finished reports." He said with a small smirk as Fornell stood there his jaw hanging down.

"You?" Fornell whispered.

Tony smiled. "Yep, me."

"Thank God." Fornell said under his breath.

"You're welcome," Gibbs said, "Now come on Tobias, you owe me coffee."

* * *

Abby came up to the bullpen at five minutes to six, "Hey guys." She said smiling and wrapping her arms around Tim's neck as he continued typing.

"Hey Abbs." Tony said.

"It's not my fault." Tim said instinctively.

Abby took a step back and looked at Tim, "Timothy Sciuto McGee…What have you done." She asked; using the name Tim had adopted when he had married her.

"Tony only told me this morning, I have been busy I haven't had time to tell you." He said turning and looking at his wife.

Clara and Ned sniggered.

Abby put her hands on her hips and walked over to Tony, "Anthony DiNozzo, if you don't tell me what Tim hasn't told me you'll be in big trouble mister."

"I'm not."

"Why won't you tell me?" Abby stormed and then stepped back at Tony's smirk, "You're not what?" she asked

"Tony DiNozzo."

"OH MY GOD….Did Gibbs finally adopt you!" She jumped and clapped her hands.

"No, Abbs, Senior isn't my dad…." He sat her in his swivel chair. "Mike Macaluso is."

Abby's hands flew to her mouth…. "O.M.G! You always said you were Italian mafia. Now you really are…How are the kids taking this?" she asked.

"They don't care, the name Macaluso has no more meaning to them than the name DiNozzo did, all they care about is that I am their father and we are a family."

"Ok, so are you keeping it?" Abby asked.

"What?" Tony asked, "The name?"

Abby nodded. "Yeah…I mean; think about it, Fornell will go nuts. He hates the Macaluso's."

"He did, it was really funny, if you hurry to Stan in security, and he may still have the tapes." Tony prompted.

Abby leapt up, "Don't leave without me!" she called to her two favorite men and ran off down to the back elevator.

Finally six came around the team packed their stuff. "Team, if you want, you're with me," Tony said, "Gonna give my kids there first birthday parties and I'd love you all to be a part of that."

Clara and Ned nodded, they were thrilled Tony had invited them to be a part of this and had already been assigned jobs by Abby weeks ago.

* * *

All of them arrived at Gibbs' house one after the other, Gibbs and Fornell were already there as was Emily, who had dropped her bag off from her police academy course and she waved at the others taking the bag full of laundry out to the utility room to get her laundry done before she went home.

"Ok uncle J, that's on, what do you need." Emily asked.

"You to call me uncle Jethro for once," He said with a grin, she kissed his cheek, "Now, uncle J if I did that how would I ever get a reaction out of you." She said and picked up a packet of Balloons Jethro tossed her way.

"Hey Em," Tim said following Tony into the living room, "How's police academy?" He asked.

"Hard work, long hours, lousy pay." She groused sounding just like her father. Tim laughed and went to help the others.

Tony looked around still touched by the offer of help from the others.

"You gonna get your kids Di…Macaluso." Gibbs said tripping over the name.

Tony smiled, "Sure boss," he said and headed out the door, finding Gibbs following him.

* * *

"Boss?"

"I meant what I said yesterday, I wanna be there for your kids and you Tony Don't care, what your last name is, just want you to feel like you have family around you, you don't have to do this alone."

Tony sat on the porch and looked towards his house, just next door, as if it were a hundred miles away.

"So much has changed dad, I've gone from being a frat boy to a father, a DiNozzo to a Macaluso and I still really don't know who I am."

"You were never that frat boy, not really, You were just using that as a mask to hide your demons, I got you an appointment, you don't have to go son, but Natalie Morales is the department shrink, SECNAV thinks you should go see her…something about you needing therapy as much as Agent Callen, but probably more likely to go."

"Well, who am I to say no to SECNAV." He said looking around, he didn't know how, but he knew she just heard him.

Gibbs laughed, "I'm sure you need to work stuff out and she's the best."

Tony sighed and wiped his hands on the legs of his pants, "Ok, Grandpa, let's go get those kids of mine."

* * *

Tony opened the door to his house to find his two children screaming at each other in a mixture of Hebrew, Italian and English.

The tutor had left ten minutes ago and from what Tony could gather from the argument, the kids were screaming at each other about whether or not to go to a state school. Adam wanted to go, and Amelia wanted to have more time at home.

"But Aim, it's not fair on Papa." Adam yelled down the stairs.

Amelia screamed an obscenity in Hebrew at her brother and stormed down the stairs.

Tony recognized that one, Ziva had used it on him often enough. He put both fingers in his mouth stood at the doorway and whistled.

The noise stopped and two pairs of feet ran to the front door and hugged their father.

"Papa! We missed you." The twins said in unison.

Tony hugged them and moved away an eyebrow raised looking at both of them.

"We weren't….." Adam started, "Aim, Started it, she wants to stay homeschooled, I wanna go to school papa, it'll save you money and you won't have to work all the time."

Aimee huffed and sat on the sofa, "It's not that I don't….דְאָגָה, I mean….Papa si capisce che A me importa di te, ma io non sono pronto per un sacco di altre persone"

"I understand that you both care," Tony said sitting both children on either side of him, "But you also have to understand that you will both be going to school as soon as you are able. You…" Tony said pointing to his son's nose. "Will be starting school on Monday, Your sister will start in a month." He told them.

Both children smiled happy with the outcome.

"Now did you both pick a nice outfit, we are going to Grandpa's." Tony said.

Both children stopped dead. "Che cosa?" they both said.

Tony nodded in the direction of Gibbs, "You," he said pointing to his twins, "Are going to His." He pointed at Gibbs.

"Nonno?" they asked, picking the 'universal' household language just to make sure.

Tony nodded and both twins launched themselves at Gibbs, who if he hadn't of had years of Abby ambushes would have ended up on the floor.

"Macaluso Twins, Move it!" Tony yelled after a minute or two.

"Si Papa!" They said and ran upstairs to get changed.

He laughed at the sight of his twins and turned to Gibbs, "I'm gonna hit the shower, they are all yours, Nonno Gibbs."

"Nonno?" he asked.

"Grandpa." Tony affirmed laughing at Gibbs' smile on his face.

Maybe letting the team in and becoming a larger family was a good idea. He thought as he walked up the stairs to change.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Mike Macaluso paced up and down in his cell, seeing Tony again had brought all his memories and all his anger back again.

He had loved Tony's mother immensely she had been the love of his life but when Elizabeth DiNozzo had told him she was married he had thought he would die. Anthony DiNozzo however was a con artist, and in the hole to the Macaluso clan for $15,000, and more importantly a coward, who when told his debt could be cleared if he could spend one month with his wife, DiNozzo quickly capitulated.

Elizabeth and Mike had a wonderful time; she being a Paddington and full on English aristocracy couldn't divorce Anthony even though he drank and had a temper. Anthony's problem was that they had been married for 3 years and she hadn't given him a son, and heir to the DiNozzo family name. Anthony assumed it was her problem and quite happily sent her away with the head of the Macaluso family for $20,000 although he only made $5,000 on that particular deal, he had still made money.

Elizabeth had been wined and dined; Mike had taken the month off moving all business to his second while he toured the US together, and stopping in Hollywood where Mike showed her his love of the movie industry. Elizabeth was hooked.

The last night they were together, Mike had begged her to leave her husband and come and live with him, she had cried holding him tightly, but she was a DiNozzo and unless her husband divorced her that was where she had to stay, if she left her family would be ruined.

Less than two months later, DiNozzo senior was running around telling business associated his wife was pregnant.

* * *

Mike always knew the child could be his.

Just under eight years later his suspicions were confirmed.

Mike had opened a letter that morning on his desk from Elizabeth; the writing was hurried and scrawled across the page, small dried tear drops where on the page and Mike's heart clenched.

'My dearest Mike,

I am so sorry I never told you but Tony is your son, Anthony bade me not to tell you and I had to abide by his wishes. Tony is bright, kind and loving, he has your sense of humor and your eyes. Anthony hates him. But he hates me more and I cannot take anymore, if you can save our boy, please try to, I fear for his safety with Anthony, but Tony doesn't know Anthony isn't his father. Always remember Mike I love you, please try and save our son, it is too late for me.

Elizabeth '

Mike picked up the phone and called DiNozzo's number, the phone was answered by a weeping housekeeper, she confirmed what he already knew, Elizabeth…his Beth, was dead.

DiNozzo had put barriers up stopping Mike from seeing the boy, they had moved from Baltimore to Long Island and all traces of Anthony DiNozzo Junior disappeared from Mike's radar, until one day twenty years later, when a young Baltimore detective had offered his services to the Macaluso family. Mike had taken one look at him and knew; this was his son.

Tony had been welcomed into the family, Mike not disclosing he knew the young detective and arguing with any family members who questioned having a cop on the payroll they knew little about.

Within months Tony had moved up the ranks, then came the day. Mike had planned on making Tony a full member of the 'family' and was also going to let him know who his father was. But as the family gathered the FBI swooped in and arrested everyone.

Mike just looked at Tony, his son had betrayed him.

One day, he would get even.

* * *

The twins ran down the stairs and stood and the door waiting for their dad to join them, Nonno Gibbs was sat on the couch looking over at his two 'new' grandchildren chatting away excitedly to each other in a mixture of Italian and Hebrew.

"Kids." Gibbs barked and they both ran over to him.

"Si, Nonno?" Adam said.

"New rules for my house, I am grandpa, or Gibbs, none of this Nonno stuff, and one language only in my house, English ok." He said.

The twins looked at him and talked to each other in Hebrew.

"W…will we be punished if we get it wrong?" Adam asked grasping Amelia's hand tightly.

Gibbs looked at them concerned, they were progressing so well he hadn't wanted to frighten his new grandchildren.

"The only time I will punish you is if you break your father's rules in the same way he would. I will never inflict pain on either of you, you are both too precious and I love you both." Gibbs said and held his arms out which were soon full of happy smiling teenagers.

Tony stood at the top of the stairs listening, as the children flung themselves into Gibbs' arms, he pulled out his phone and took a picture.

"I want a copy of that Macaluso."

"Yes dad." Tony laughed.

Gibbs grinned, "I like that….off the job, but I do like that," he moved so that Tony could join in the family hug.

"Now let's head back to my place before Baker and Dorneget get eaten by Abby." Gibbs joked.

Adam and Amelia stopped their eyes going wide, "She eats people?" They asked in unison.

Tony laughed, "No…Grandpa is just being silly, come on guys…there's cake." He poked.

Both children grabbed Gibbs' hand and dragged him across the lawn to his house, "Cake Grandpa!" they said.

* * *

Opening the door and running into the house they stopped when they saw people there. "Happy Birthday!" Abby called wrapping both kids in a hug.

Both children tensed and looked at her quizzically, "You're not going to eat us are you?" Adam asked.

Abby looked surprised, "Eat you?"

"Grandpa said you were going to eat the baker and the doughnut guy." Amelia said.

"What?" Abby stood back and glared at Gibbs and Tony who walked up behind them. "What did you tell these two adorable children about me?" Abby growled.

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other confused, "Nothing Abbs?" they said in unison,

"Then why do your children think I ate the baker and the doughnut guy?" she asked.

Both men started to laugh, Gibbs ended up holding onto Tony's shoulder. "Oh my God! Really! They said that?" Gibbs spluttered.

Tony walked up to his children, and took them to the middle of the room he put them in front of Clara and Ned, "Adam and Amelia Macaluso, I would like to introduce you to Clara  **Baker**  and Ned  **Dorneget** , both of whom are alive and well." He said with a huge smirk on his face.

"Hello," Both twins said, "I'm glad you're not dead." Amelia said and the room dissolved into laughter.

They walked over to Abby, "We are sorry, Miss Abby." Adam said and hugged her.

Abby smiled, "Now you two, we have very important things to get to, Presents and Cake." She said steering them over to a table with a huge cake that said Happy 1st Birthday.

"But Abby we are not one, we are 13?" Adam said.

"That's true, but this is your first birthday with us and that makes it special." Abby said.

Moving them over to presents, they both got the same things, mostly. They were given, laptops from Abby, Desktop computers from McGee, Ned gave them both desk sets, Clara got them vouchers for the local book store, Emily and Fornell, brought them both two sets of clothes and swimming lessons and their new Grandpa had made them both Desks out of oak, intricate with their names carved into the back panels.

"Wow, guys' I mean this is too much!" Tony said with a sad smile on his face.

"We wanted to do it," Tim said, hoping to not make Tony mad.

Tony gave a quick grin and walked out onto the back porch.

Gibbs waved Tim back and followed him out.

"You ok Tony?"

"You guys got them all this, I got them notebook and pen…how bad a parent am I?" He said sadly.

Gibbs pulled Tony into a hug, "They won't remember the gifts or the cake, what they will remember is that 13 was the year they spent together, Safe with their father. Now come back inside and join your family."

Tony smiled, "Yes dad." He replied and went to join them.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Gibbs had been right, both children had quickly forgotten who gave them what; the only two gifts they treasured were the note books and pen their father had given them.

Adam had quickly settled in at school and had made a few friends, all the school were told was that Adam and his sister who had started a month later had moved from Israel and that they'd had a bad time there, so they were asked not to asked them about their time in Israel and the school had agreed. Amelia had settled in when she had finally started and was surprised to find that she made a few friends as well. Tony was pleased that they were finally speaking fluent English and were behaving more like 13 year olds, the only down side was that they house usually had a couple more teenagers than he expected in his house when he came home.

Tony himself, had settled into his new routine at work, Gibbs giving him any extra time he needed. The team had gone back to its former 98% closure rate. Tim, Baker and Dorneget loved the fact the there were regular finishing hours especially as Dorneget had just found himself a new partner and was the happiest he'd been in years. Baker had taken the extra time to work on her shooting scores and was taking new night classes, and Tim, well he was the happiest of all, he got to spend more time with Abby and hung out at Tony's more, spending time with the kids which had upped his standing in his new nephew and niece's life when they found out that as well as an agent; their new uncle was also a published Author.

* * *

Tony walked into the bullpen and as was the new habit of the week, being a Wednesday it was his turn to bring the coffees in. He was whistling as he dropped the cups on the various agents' desks.

"Thanks boss." Baker and Dorneget said as they looked up.

"Where's Tim?" Tony asked.

Baker shrugged, "Some FBI guy came earlier, he's in with Gibbs." Clara told him.

Tony grinned, "Who did he kill?"

Both his junior agents looked confused.

"Sorry old joke." He said, "FBI eh, never bodes well around here."

As if on cue, Gibbs walked across to the elevator, flanked by two FBI Agents and an angry looking McGee.

Tony looked concerned then sat at his desk knowing Gibbs and Tim would fill him in soon enough.

Tony looked up again as the elevator dinged and the whole entourage walked into the bullpen.

"What'd you do McGoo?" he grinned.

Tim looked at him, "Not me boss, you." Tim grabbed his bag, nodded to Baker and Dorneget to follow him and walked out.

Tony sighed "Oh, What this time, I ain't done anything." He looked at Gibbs "Boss, did you tell 'em I haven't got time to murder anyone."

"We're Agents, Quinn and Farrell, FBI" Agent Farrell said

Gibbs looked worried, that more than anything unnerved him.

"Boss?" Tony looked slightly scared.

"Tony…" Gibbs said, "Mike Macaluso escaped from a parole hearing today,"

Tony sat heavily in his chair, "I need to find my kids…" He said grabbing his phone.

"McGee's already on it." Gibbs said.

* * *

Tony's face instantly changed, "So, what the hell happened…?" he growled.

The two agents looked at each other and gulped. "Well, Director Fornell just told us to come here and see Director Gibbs, all we know is that one of his Agents has a problem with the mobster and he was due for a parole hearing. His transport was ambushed, we think by the acting head of the Macaluso family. Our boss told us that Director Gibbs needed to know and he brought us to you." The agent said having no idea what this NCIS agent could do that an FBI agent couldn't.

"So, why are you here and not out catching him, God Boss, can't you get Fornell to give this one to us, I'll bring him in."

"You know you can't Tony." Gibb said gently.

"Yeah, let the FBI handle it." The other Agent snapped.

Tony stood up and grabbed the agent by the lapels of his jacket.

"Macaluso." Gibbs snapped.

Tony dropped the agent. "Sorry Boss." He said.

Both agents looked at each other, "Macaluso?" Agent Quinn asked.

Tony looked at them and gave his darkest stare, "Yeah, so which one of you let my asshole of a father get away." He looked away from the stunned agents as his phone rang. "Yeah, McGee…are my kids safe?" He asked.

Tony went pale and collapsed into the chair behind him. Within Seconds Gibbs was by his side as the two FBI agents looked on worried. For the first time in years Gibbs saw real terror behind the eyes of the man he thought of as a son.

"Tony….Tony?" when he didn't answer Gibbs called Jimmy, "Jimmy, Tony's….I don't know what he is, but I think he's having a panic attack, he needs help get up here." He turned again to Tony. "Tony, Son?" reaching the point of despair he picked up Tony's cell phone and called McGee "Tim, what happened?" Gibbs asked putting Tim on speaker.

"Boss, I just talked to the head teacher at the twin's school, the twins were picked up this morning, by their mother. Boss, I saw the security footage, it was Ziva, and she has the twins."McGee sounded panicked.

Gibbs closed his cell and moved as Palmer walked into the bullpen, "Stay with him!" He said running up the stairs to his office.

* * *

Ziva looked at her two children, they had grown since she had last seen them, she hated the fact that they looked terrified to see her, however, they had come willingly with her…after she had told them in Hebrew that it was important that they do as she tell them.

She had escaped custody in Israel and had gone on the run as a mercenary, her two youngest children were in the care of her aunt and her sources told her they were thriving. Working as an enforcer for an Italian mobster she had been surprised when Tony's name had come up and even more surprised to find out he was actually the son of Mobster Mike Macaluso. Not mentioning that she had known him she had been surprised to be offered a contract as a favor to Don Perrone. The money was huge, $50,000 to kill the children of Tony Macaluso. Of course she had taken the contract on the proviso she had first shot. Grabbing her bag she had taken the first airplane to D.C. under the name, Wendy DiNozzo. She had watched the house for a week, marveling at the change in her children and how much they had grown. She had met with Mike and he had given her all the particulars she needed on her targets, now it was time for her own mission.

To keep her children safe.

If she pulled it off, she could kill Mike, drop the children off safely and be out of the country before anyone realized she had been there.

Sitting in the locked cell that Ziva had put them in Adam held tightly to Amelia's hand, his sister was shaking. "Adam, why is she here? Is she going to take us from dad?"

Adam shook his head, "No, I won't let her."

"Be quiet Traitore!" Ziva snapped as she worked out her plans.

"My name is Adam Macaluso, mother." He said bravely.

She gave a small laugh, "He did change his surname." She said to herself, she could hardly believe it, she thought he would never have used that name.

"Why are we here? Where is dad?" Adam asked.

"I do not know where your father is, nor do I care, however if you both want to live you will do exactly as I tell you when I tell you, understand." She snapped.

Both children nodded.

* * *

"Ima, are we going b…back to Israel?" Amelia asked.

"I do not think so." Ziva answered honestly.

Amelia held tightly to her brother, not wanting the tears to fall but unable to stop them. "I want to go home to daddy and grandpa."

Ziva looked up at that "Grandpa? Mike Macaluso is in your lives?" she asked.

Adam shook his head, "Papa…I mean Dad says he is our biological grandfather, but our Grandpa is Gibbs and if he knows you took us he will kick your butt!" Adam said bravely.

"Kick my…?" Ziva laughed, "Yes I suppose he would at that." She opened her pack and took food and water out and passed them to the children through the bars, "You need to eat." She said.

She hated having to lock them up like this but she knew that they would run away given half a chance and then put themselves in more danger.

She turned her attention away from them and back to her laptop she needed to find out where Mike Macaluso was; and quickly, as her sources told her he had already sent contracts out to others to kill her children.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Mike Macaluso paced up and down the room his lawyer had had him housed in. He knew his son was out there and he had been the cause of his troubles, he'd had his men track him down and was incensed when he found out not only was his son now a federal agent but he was flaunting the fact that he was a Macaluso and had taken on his surname and his two grandchildren were using it.

Zak Worrell, a junior assistant to the Macaluso family lawyer looked over at his client and groaned they were supposed to be hiding out, for someone on the run from the FBI Mike wasn't really keeping too low a profile. A few of Macaluso's men had come and gone, with instructions to find two children or Tony Macaluso. Zak worried he didn't want to be involved in anything involving children, when word had come back that the children had been taken from the school by a known Israeli mercenary he had gone ballistic. Ranting at his men Mike ordered that the Israeli, a woman named Ziva Eshel should be found too, Mike looked over to where his three most trusted men were standing, "I want that fed who is using my name, Tony Macaluso at our safe house in four hours, with or without the Israeli mercenary who has betrayed me…I want them both dead and I want his children…they will make fine additions to our ranks in time." He grinned.

* * *

Tony much like his father was pacing up and down the bullpen, the two FBI agents assigned to watch him had been placed at the entrance to the bullpen and ordered not to talk to him or move. Disgruntled but agreeing as the Director of NCIS had manhandled them to their present position and had listened in as Director Gibbs had called their boss.

"Tobias, Gibbs, your men are annoying my boy…." Gibbs looked at Tony who had started walking up and down behind his desk shooting a look at the elevators every few seconds. "McGee went to the kids school, Ziva has them….No I don't know where…gonna need some help finding Tony's kids Tobias…what if it had been Emily at that age." Gibbs moved the phone from his ear and Tony grinned as a stream of expletives could be heard coming from the other man. "You done?" Gibbs asked. "Good, just get here." He said and slammed the phone down.

The elevator dinged and Tony was stopped by Gibbs' hand on his arm as Tim, Clara and Ned walked out of the elevator all looking despondent.

"Baker you and Dorneget check local flights into DC in the last week, any name that stands out, we need to find Ziva." Tim said ushering them off to their desks.

"Sorry Boss," Tim said to Tony, "No one told the school that she shouldn't have them so when they confirmed she was their mother they let them go."

Tony sighed, "I never thought she'd be here, I didn't think to tell them…"

"Tony, Son, its ok, your kids are tough, they'll get through this…they are your children." Gibbs said

"But, Boss, they've been through so much already, I finally thought we were done with all this." Tony turned away and started to walk away.

"Macaluso stop…." Gibbs said and Tony turned around.

"Boss, I need coffee, I need some air…look I'm just going to the cart outside ok…I'll be five minutes…I just need some space on my own."

Gibbs gut churned, "OK, but you don't leave the yard…ok son?" Baker and Dorneget looked up in surprise at the fatherly tone issuing from their usually hard assed Director.

Tony sighed, "Yes Dad…" he turned and walked to the elevator as Gibbs put a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"He'll be ok son, just give him some space, head down after five minutes and get him to get his ass back up here."

Tim let out a small smile at Gibbs, "OK Boss."

* * *

Ziva looked over at her children, both had been in the cage in the corner for a few hours now and she could see that Amelia was getting uncomfortable "Ima, I need to use the bathroom….please…It's my time…I can't hold it."

Ziva nodded, "Do not try anything sneaky, I will get your products are they in your bag?" she asked.

"Yes Ima." Amelia said.

Ziva looked through the bag and smiled as she saw the knife at the bottom, "I see Gibbs has taught you well. She then pulled out a small tin that held Amelia's sanitary wear, placing the knife on the table and handing Amelia the tin she moved to unlock the cage holding a gun in her other hand. "Do not try anything." She reiterated as she opened the door.

Adam moved as far back as he could and waited as Amelia and his mother left the room.

Looking around he tried to see out of the window to see where he was, he checked his pockets looking for anything that would aid in their escape.

Amelia sat on the toilet listening to her mother pacing outside the stall.

"Ima?" she asked carefully as she sorted herself out.

"Yes Amelia."

"Did you ever love Abba?" she said deliberately using the Jewish form of father to try to relate to her mother.

"No, he was a target, a part of my mission…I did like him sometimes, but…he was so….infuriating at times," Despite herself Ziva let out a small smile remembering the times she and Tony had had together.

"Did you ever love us?" Amelia asked now standing behind the stall door not wanting this small amount of contact with her mother to end.

Ziva stood the other side of the door her hand stretched to touch it wanting nothing more than to take her first born daughter in her arms and reassure her that all she was doing was for her and her brother, to tell them that she loved them and that she had always loved them. She pulled her hand back as if burned. "No." she snapped cutting her lie off and berating herself for her momentary lack of strength, "Now come, you must go back."

Amelia opened the door, not hiding the tears streaming down her face; she washed her hands and disposed of her trash. "Very well mother." She said coldly and followed her back to her cage, not looking at her mother she climbed into her cage and sat stony faced next to her mother.

"Amy? You ok?" Adam asked.

"I'm fine, I will be a lot better when Grandpa Gibbs gets here and takes us home." She snapped.

Ziva's phone rang; she picked it up and listened to the voice on the other end. Shutting the phone she sighed.

"I have to go out, do either of you need anything before I go?" she asked.

"We need our father." Amelia snapped.

Ziva turned and regained her composure for a second. "Maybe you will see him soon." She said and walked away.

"Ima…IMA!" Adam yelled, "You can't leave us here!"

"Don't…" Amelia said putting her arm around her brother, "Mother does not love us, neither does she care for our well being."

"How do you know?" Adam asked, he held out hope as he had always done that somewhere inside her she actually cared about him.

"She told me." Amelia said flatly.

* * *

Ziva lent on the car and allowed herself a few tears, she knew this was necessary and the children were safe, but the call from her contact had unnerved her. She was supposed to be the one to find Tony and convince him to play dead and save the children…This was not supposed to have happened.

Getting the call from her contact to say that some of Mike Macaluso's men had taken Tony from just outside the navy yard and had orders to take him to the rendezvous spot that Mike had picked when he had sent her the details of the job unnerved her. She knew that Mike was planning to kill Tony, and for the sake of her children, that could not happen.

Knowing that they were safe and that Mike had decided not to go after them right now she made a short call. Stopping for once second to hear the surprise in Tim's voice as she called with the children's address and telling them that Mike had Tony, she removed the battery from her phone, opened a new one and sent Zak a message to let him know she was coming.

Tim picked up his phone as it rang, "SFA McGee." He said. He stopped dead and looked at Gibbs hoping to get his attention, his next word did. "Ziva?" he listened, "Are they ok….Ziva? Ziva!" he asked into the dead phone.

"Boss, she just told me where the children are, and she says that Mike has Tony!"

Gibbs stood up from his old desk, "Baker, Dorneget, go get the kids, bring them back here. McGee, check the security footage and find out if Macaluso really has Tony." Gibbs said whilst ringing Tony's phone and slamming it down on the desk as it went to voicemail.

"MOVE!"

 


	16. Chapter 16

Adam and Amy looked up, according to the clock on the wall it had been two hours since Ziva had left, Amy was cold and Adam took his jacket off and wrapped it around his sister who hadn't stopped the silent tears that had fallen since their mother had left.

"ADAM!" Baker called as she opened the door to the building that Ziva had told them the children were in.

"Over here!" Adam shouted, Baker and Dorneget came running over to the two children in the cage.

Ned looked around and then finally he saw a key under a piece of paper on the table. "I have a key, hold on." He said and opened the cage freeing the two children.

"Did you catch her?" Amy asked.

"How did you find us?" Adam asked.

Ned smiled; this was when the children were most like their father, gathering information. "No we haven't caught Ziva, Your uncle Tim and Grandpa Gibbs have gone after her, and we found you because she called Tim and told us where you were."

Adam frowned, "That's not like Ima…She's gone after Dad…she must be after the money, I saw an email, our grandfather has offered money for my father…Does she have him too?"

Ned sighed, "I can't say, we've been ordered to get you back to NCIS, Dr. Palmer wants to have a look at you."

Both children walked over to the desk and grabbed their schoolbags that had been left there and walked out to the car.

Amy turned to her brother, "Do you think Abba is in trouble?" she whispered in Hebrew.

Adam looked at her surprised, "I think so, or he would have been here himself, if Ima is going to kill him we need to stop her, we will go with them to see uncle jimmy and see what information we can find out there. Maybe we can help." Adam said to his sister.

"You two ok?" Ned asked with a grin as the two children chatted in their own language.

Adam smiled, "Now we're with you, we're fine." He said.

* * *

Ziva walked up to the building that she knew Tony was in. She didn't want to see him again, not after everything, but, this was where life was leaving her and who was she not to follow.

She steeled herself and walked straight in surprising Mike Macaluso's head guard who went to aim his gun at Ziva who shot Mike a look.

"Put your gun down, Dmitri you look stupid, you know who this is, if she wanted you dead you wouldn't be standing now." Mike opened his arms as Ziva walked straight past a battered and bruised Tony and hugged Mike. "Ziva, I thought you were not coming." He said

Ziva smiled sweetly, her blood boiling, "How could I not, this man cost me my beloved children and my husband and my position as Director, this one I would do for free," she said shooting Tony a look.

"I heard, Don Perrone was most vocal about your troubles, you are a great asset to him." Mike said.

Tony groaned as he opened his eyes and saw Ziva hugging his father.

"My…Kids…Zi…twins...Ok?" Tony tried asking.

Ziva turned her cold face to Tony and looking to Mike for permission she walked across the room and backhanded Tony, "They are dead," she said her face betraying nothing.

"No…." Tony let out a sob, "Your children Zi…how…?"

Ziva looked up at Mike and smiled. "You do not get to keep what is mine, I picked them up from school like a good mother should, I took them to the warehouse where Ari killed Kate and I shot them." She said with a cold cruel smile on her face.

"NOOOOOOO!" Tony's breath hitched as his heart broke and he crumbled, tears spilling over his face and down his chin.

Mike looked over at her, "You killed the children?"

"That was part of the request from you was it not?" Ziva asked.

Mike nodded, he was amazed how cold and calculating she was, "They were birthed from my body, so it was only fitting that I was the one who decided where and how they would die." She told him.

"I agreed, Ziva Eshel, you are without a doubt the most mercenary, mercenary I have ever dealt with." He smiled. "Come have a drink with me." He held out a glass with scotch in it.

"I assume you want me to finish off your son as well." She said walking towards Tony who didn't even bother to look at him.

She drew her knife and held it under his chin. "I can make his death as painful as you wish." She offered.

"I had hoped that he would join me, I could have had all his contacts as a fed working for my empire, but no…he turned me down, but he has the gall to use my name."

"I'm afraid that Tony would never betray Gibbs….I think they have a 'thing'" Ziva said with a little wink.

"REALLY!" Mike roared.

Ziva shrugged, "I can tell you he isn't all man." She confided in the man.

Mike walked over to his son and lifted his head by his hair. "That true boy….you gay?"

Tony looked at him defiantly, "If I say I am will you kill me." He rasped, "Maybe I'll turn gay and corrupt your gene pool." He spat out.

Ziva shot him a concerned look; if he kept baiting Macaluso like that he'd never get out alive.

* * *

Mike's phone rang and he dropped Tony's head and headed over to his lawyer who shakily held his phone to him.

As soon as the room was empty Ziva ran to Tony and started untying his bonds. "Tony…Tony look at me, you need to wait, Gibbs will be here soon and he will find you."

As soon as his hands were free Tony turned and grabbed Ziva by the throat, "You killed them…." He growled.

"I…Did…Not…." Ziva gasped between breaths.

Tony let go and looked at his hands as if he'd been burned, "What?!"

Ziva looked not seeing anyone she turned to him, "Adam and Amelia are safe, McGee should have picked them up by now, I took them so they….." she stopped as a loud pop came from behind her and a red stain formed on her chest….She fell to her knees in Tony's arms as Mike walked back in holding a gun.

"I don't like being lied to." Mike growled.

"Ziva! Zi….!" Tony tried to stop the blood loss, "Don't die…please,"

Ziva lifted her eyes to Tony, a small trickle of blood escaped her mouth, "Tell the children…I lied…I love them…" she said and Tony held her as the light left her eyes.

He reached around her body and felt the impression of the knife in her belt. Looking at his father he threw the knife, Mike screamed as it embedded itself in his chest.

Watching his father collapse Tony held tightly to Ziva's body and waited for his father's men to come in and finish him off.

Even despite everything that had happened between them, or maybe because of all that had happened between them, Tony clung to Ziva's still form.

* * *

"NCIS!" Gibbs voice cut through the silence.

After a firefight at the entrance, they hadn't seen anyone. Now coming upon the room Tony had been held in they could see blood up the windows, Gibbs steeled himself as he entered the room.

Mike Macaluso stared blindly as the knife sat in his chest, his last breath focused on his boy, his son, his greatest disappointment.

"Tony….you could have been so much more." He said as his last breath left his body.

Tony wasn't looking at his father, and hadn't moved an inch as he held onto the body of the mother of his children, he heard movement but just didn't care, let his father's men come and shoot him, Ziva had killed his children, he didn't believe her when she had told him they were alive, why would they be. She'd never told him the truth before.

He didn't want to let her go, she was his last link to his children, she had birthed them, and she had killed them. If he let her go then they would truly be gone. So he clung onto her with all that he had.

"Tony…" Gibbs knelt beside his son.

"Tony?" McGee said kneeling on the other side.

"Tony, she's dead, let her go." McGee told him.

McGee tried to move Tony's hand. The hand gripped tighter, "No…" Tony's voice hoarse with emotion rasped out.

Gibbs put his hand on McGee's shoulder, "Call Jimmy to come and tell Fornell, I'll need some back up here."

"Yes Boss." McGee said shooting a concerned look towards his boss and heading out of the room.

"Tony, son…you have to let her go."

"Can't let her go….Dad." Tony let out a sob, "She killed my babies…I let her go they go too."

"Tony." Gibbs' voice was calm, he lifted his son's face and his heart broke at the look he had never hoped to see in another man's eyes again. "Ziva didn't kill them, the twins are safe, and they are at NCIS with Abby."

Gibbs watched as a mask of confusion crossed his face. "But she said…OH!" he finally got it…he burst into tears as he let her body go and Gibbs held him his hand rubbing small circles of comfort into his back.

"its ok son, it's all over, you're safe, your children are safe, it's all over." Gibbs repeated as he looked at the door, he let out a small smile as he realized that McGee was guarding the door so the Feds didn't see Tony's breakdown, giving them the privacy they both needed.

Gibbs smiled; he'd always known that boy would go far.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Gibbs waited with Tony until the paramedics arrived. He looked over his boy's injuries, he knew they would heal in time, his main worry was the light in his eyes, the one he had when he first had his children. The man who no matter how bad things got always held out the hope that there was something better coming.

It wasn't there.

After Tony had broken down he sat there staring into space not registering the paramedics that Tim had let past to treat him or Jimmy who was putting the body of Ziva into one bag and then he moved to deal with the body of Mike Macaluso. As he reached the point where he was going to zip up the body bag, Tony jumped up. Everyone jumped with the sudden movement.

"Tony?" Tim said.

Tony stilled Jimmy's hand on the zipper. "Wait." He croaked.

He looked at the body his hand touching his father's face, "I'm sorry." He said quietly. He looked at the lines on the older man's face, and he slowly closed the old man's eyes. He marveled to himself just how much like his father he was. Doing what he'd needed to do to survive, he'd taken the old man's beatings, he had tried to protect his children and his father was right, He could have been so much more, he could have done so much more to protect them, he was a failure, he was never good enough as a DiNozzo, he'd tried to be a better version of a Macaluso, the letter he still held in his pocket from his mother begging him to find his father and take on his name which had been the turning point for him agreeing to change it in the first place. He was now nothing…maybe his children would be better off without him.

Gibbs was a good father figure, he mused. If he left the children with him, they would grow up in Gibbs' image, be better people.

Gibbs walked over and put a hand on Tony's shoulder, noticing the flinch as he did so, "You need to let him go Tony. You need to go with the paramedics; they need to look at your injuries."

Tony turned and allowed Gibbs to lead him away.

* * *

Tony sat starting at the blank wall in the hospital, Gibbs was outside talking to the doctor in the corridor, he didn't want to listen in, honestly he just didn't care, there wasn't any more that he could take.

But he needed to make plans first, his children. He needed to do what was best for his children and he knew that what was best for his children wasn't him. He knew this now, His mother had been ok until he was born, she'd put up with him for eight years before she died. He'd held her body and cried until Senior had told him that it was his fault, he should have gone and looked for help. Then Jeanne, she'd loved him, until he had broken her heart by revealing that the man she had fallen for didn't exist, he had taken Ziva's advice and told her that he had never loved her and broken his own heart in the process. The others, Paula, Kate, and Wendy …those who he had given his heart to and had died or crushed him. Ziva herself, he'd loved her, but she had just used him as part of her mission, granted she had birthed his children, and she had said she had loved them really. But had she? He'd never know and the fact that she had offered to kill him didn't help him figure her out, and his chance to do so was now gone. His own father; Mike Macaluso, had told him he was a disappointment and a disgrace to the family name. All that was left in his life were his children, Gibbs, Tim and Abby… All the people he loved.

He had to go he couldn't take the chance that they too would be hurt.

He grabbed the pen off the clipboard at the end of the bed and turned his chart over and wrote on the back.

Looking over what he had written he climbed off the bed and slipped on his shoes.

It was time to go.

* * *

Gibbs walked down the corridor with Dr. Samuels discussing his son's condition. Following him into the Doctors lounge for a decent cup of coffee they discussed everything.

"Physically, he will heal in a month or so, the scars will fade, but I am most worried about his mental state. He's been here 24 hours and apart from answering questions about his pain, he hasn't engaged with anyone. I was told by Dr. Pitt that he would be a handful, to be honest he's the most model patient in here."

"Yeah doc, that's what, scares me." Gibbs admitted.

"I have asked Dr. Dillon our resident psychiatrist to come and see him before he's discharged." Dr. Samuels said.

"He may not talk to her…Him?" Gibbs asked.

"Him, Matthew." Samuels admitted.

"OK," Gibbs responded. He looked at the clock; he'd been gone from Tony's room for half an hour and he felt he needed to be back there. He stood up and thanked the doctor. Leaving to go to the room he gave Abby a quick ring to check on the children.

His call was answered and he was met by loud music and two screaming kids in the background.

"SHHHHHH! It's Gibbs!" Abby shouted over the din. "Hey Gibbs!" she answered brightly as the yelling in the background turned to quieter bickering.

"What's going on Abs?" he asked.

"Your grandchildren are having a small difference of opinion." Abby said and Gibbs could hear her biting her tongue.

"put me on speaker." Gibbs said his voice flat.

"Yes Boss." Abby snapped.

"ADAM, AMELIA!" Gibbs raised his voice over the phone and the bickering stopped.

"Yes Grandpa?" both children answered.

"What is going on?"

"Nothing…." Amelia replied. Adam stayed silent.

Gibbs held on and waited.

"We wanna see dad….and Ima…but Abby said that….that…."Amelia broke down.

"Grandpa, is Ima…dead?" Adam asked his voice small.

Gibbs had wanted to avoid this, "Yes, I'm sorry guys, your mother died. But she was trying to save your father."

"See…!" Adam hissed. "I told you they loved each other."

"I didn't say that," Gibbs interjected, "I don't know what your mother felt for your father, I don't think anyone will know."

"SEE!" Amelia snapped at her brother.

"Your father is hurt, but not badly so he should be home tonight or tomorrow. But you both should know. Your mothers' last words were that she loved you."

"SHE LIES!" Amelia shouted.

Gibbs waited as her voice became muffled and he knew Abby had wrapped her arms around the teenager.

"Abbs. You gonna be ok?" Gibbs asked nearing Tony's room.

"We'll be fine Gibbs, you go take care of Tony and being him home, his team needs him…McGee has them working cold cases."

Gibbs smiled, "Ok Abbs, you take care of all of them for me, including that husband of yours and I'll bring Tony back." He smiled as he closed the phone.

* * *

Opening the door, he was already talking to Tony, "You'll never guess what…" he started and stopped as he realized the room was empty.

He checked the bathroom and the hallway and on not finding him went to see if he'd left a note.

He picked up Tony's chart and realized he had written on the back of his chart.

'Gibbs'

I know now…I know I am not what is best for my children, I end up causing the death of all those I love.

Adam and Amelia are too important to be killed by the poor choices I make.

Please Boss, if you ever cared about me adopt them, give them your name a good strong name, take the stigma of the DiNozzo/Macaluso/David…Eshel…whatever from them.

Raise them like you would have Kelly, make them good…

Maybe with your help they can overcome the crappy DNA they inherited. There is an envelope in my house, take it to my lawyers, if you want to it will allow you to adopt the kids.

I love them, which is why I have to leave; I am not what is best for them.

Please help them to forget me, and their past, help them have a brighter future.

Thank you….Boss, for taking a chance in me, I am sorry I was such a disappointment, I should have done better. But I'm the kid no one wanted, I had three parents that's one more than most kids and all three... I killed my mother and my father and Senior knew how twisted and broken I am. I killed Kate and Paula, Wendy made it out alive, but I ruined her. Ziva couldn't love me, like she said 'there was nothing right there for me to love.' I wish… I wish you had been my father; maybe I wouldn't have been so broken.

I'm leaving Boss, don't try and find me, it's not worth your time, just go back to running NCIS, look after my babies, and tell Tim, he is good enough to lead the team. He will be a great team leader and an asset to you.

Tell Abby I'm sorry.

God, I just realized I wanted to sign this…I can't I'm nobody; I don't even have a name.

I'm sorry…

The note finished and Gibbs realized he was crying, the pain in the letter almost too much for him to bear. He quickly wiped his eyes and called Tim.

"McGee…Gibbs, Need you at the hospital now. Tony's gone." He said and shut the phone.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Tim looked at the phone in his hand and paled.

Tony's gone?

It was only Gibbs' rule number 8 Never Assume, that kept him from curling into a tight ball and screaming right there in the middle of the bullpen.

Dorneget and Baker looked at him strangely. "Agent McGee, Are you alright?"

"Keep working." Tim said and grabbed his gun and badge and strode towards the elevator doors. As they closed he leaned back against the cool metal. His hand reached down to hit the button to his wife's lab. The children were there so he hit the button for the parking garage instead.

Controlling his fear and worry, he got into his car and drove towards the hospital.

* * *

Gibbs walked up to the nurses' station, "Where are your security tapes?" he growled.

"Sir?" a nurse asked.

"Don't sir me." He snapped showing her his badge.

"My agent either walked out or was abducted from your hospital, he hasn't signed out AMA he wasn't released, so  _you_ are responsible for him. Find me security and those tapes; I need to know where he is."

Shaking the nurse picked up the phone and called security.

"And get me Dr. Samuels!" he snapped.

* * *

Tony walked on and on, he'd made it out of the hospital, only to find himself shaking as he had forgotten his coat, the fall wind was biting and he wrapped his arms around himself.

He kept his head down, ignoring the looks that he was getting from some people.

He knew he looked awful, there were bruises on his face and all over his body, some of the cuts on his back and ribs were bleeding through the bandages. He was pale and his eyes were bloodshot with huge black bags under them. His shirt had spots of blood on them and he had loafers on with no socks.

He gravitated to a fire in an oil drum down the back of an alley where some homeless people were standing, and tried for a moment to get himself warm without drawing attention to himself.

"Hey kid, you wanna drink, you look cold." An older man said, "You wanna get home where it's warm."

Tony looked away.

The old man passed him the bottle of cheap whiskey and stood nearby as Tony took a drink. "You got somewhere warm to go kid?"

Tony shook his head.

The old man walked over to a cardboard box in the corner and rooted around for a few moments and came back with gloves a coat socks and boots.

"It ain't much kid, but I think it'll fit."

Tony teared up at the generosity of this man, "T…Thank...k…you…" Tony stammered his teeth chattering in the cold.

"Ben, My name is Ben," Ben smiled at him, "You?"

Tony panicked, "L…Lee…"

"You look half starved and hurt, I can get you to the hospital…."

"NO…No hospitals…I can't…." Tony took a step back and stumbled.

Ben bent down and helped him up, "Ok Lee, don't worry, you can come with me,"

"No hospitals…" Tony said again.

Ben smiled, "Na…Not a hospital, there's a shelter, and they'll patch ya up no questions asked. You get a hot meal and if there's space we can get a bed for the night."

Tony nodded and followed Ben.

* * *

Tim skidded the car outside the hospital and rather than waiting for the elevator ran up the stairs to the fourth floor nurses' station.

"Boss!" he called seeing Gibbs pacing the floors.

He heaved a small sigh of relief when Gibbs turned to him and he looked pissed.

"Oh Thank God, he's not dead!" he sighed bending over with his hands on his knees breathing heavily from all the exertion.

"Who's not dead?" Gibbs asked

"T…Tony!" McGee gasped.

"What the hell made you think that?" Gibbs growled.

"Oh I dunno Boss, maybe, the get here _'Tony's gone'_ ….phone goes dead, Kinda thing!" McGee spat annoyed.

Gibbs stopped and looked at his youngest boy and saw the fear, sorrow, anger and relief.

"Tim…Oh Tim, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize…no he's not dead, but he…well he…wrote ….just look!" Gibbs pushed the letter into Tim's hands.

Tim sat on one of the many chairs lining the corridor and read the note with dread.

"What the  _hell_  is he thinking?" Tim asked on reading it. "How can he do this to his kids!" he stood up and angry scowl on his face.

Gibbs knew that he had been jealous when Tony had first gotten the children, but he had not said a word, the fact that he and Abby hadn't been blessed as parents was a sad point with Tim, but he loved his wife so he'd not let her know how he felt. Instead they had poured their entire child rearing energy into helping Tony with the twins.

"We can't tell them, they've just lost Ziva, they can't lose their father too!" he got up and strode past Gibbs and over to the nurses station.

"I need access to your…."

"Yeah, yeah, security tapes, we know, I called security, they'll get back to you soon." The nurse said.

Tim slammed his badge on the desk. " _MOVE_ " he ordered.

He turned her monitor and started typing on her keyboard.

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me…" Within moment's Tim had cued up the footage they needed and watched as Tony walked out of the hospital in just his shirt, pants and loafers. "Boss, he headed north, but he's not got a coat or anything, he's gonna freeze."

Gibbs closed his phone up, "Fornell is heading down here, he can take care of this cluster fuck, and we should go out and look for Tony."

* * *

McGee nodded. "Well we know he headed north, but we don't know where next…hold on…" Tim got his phone out. "Keating? Tim...I need a favor, traffic cam's north of Bethesda looking for Tony…yeah he's gone walkabout on painkillers." Tim lied looking at Gibbs for absolution. "You can, ok we're walking too, just tell us where…you got us?" Tim asked

Keating gave Tim directions as far as the alley way.

Looking at the same fire that Tony had spotted an hour ago, Tim and Gibbs walked up to the group of men.

"We're looking for someone." Tim said showing his badge.

"Didn't see nothin'" the men answered.

Gibbs pulled a picture from his wallet, "Please…he's my son, he's sick, he has two children at home who need him." Gibbs begged showing them a photo of Tony.

"You Lee's dad?" A man asked, "He went to one of the shelters with Ben."

"Lee?" Tim asked.

"Please," Gibbs said again ignoring Tim, "Where is he?"

"There's a shelter two blocks down, your boy looked like he needed medical attention, and Ben likes to help where he can."

Gibbs thanked the man and gave him $20. And headed in the direction he had pointed out.

They arrived just as the doors were being closed for the night.

* * *

"Hey!" Gibbs called running up to the door.

"Sorry man, we're full." A lanky African American said as he closed the doors up.

Gibbs put his foot in the door, "NCIS, we are looking for someone." He flashed his badge and scowled at the guy.

"You have a warrant?" the man asked.

"I…please I'm looking for my son, goes by the name of Lee."

The man's face changed instantly scowling, "Lee Gibbs? You his father…he said his father did that to him… right before…" the man stopped.

"I didn't do it his biological father did, I can prove it, please just let us see him." Gibbs begged.

A woman came to the door, "Jenny, this here is Lee Gibbs' dad. 'Wants to see 'im."

"Ok Tyrone, let him in."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, what you doing here…that boy really yours?"

Gibbs smiled, "Jenny McBride, God! You working here now?"

"Come in I still have some decent coffee, Lee's passed out, drank too much. He your son or another one of your charity cases?" she asked letting them in, past the sleeping men and back to her office.

"Not biologically, but planning on making him so." Gibbs replied accepting a cup from her, "Jenny, one of my Agents Tim McGee."

"Well Hi." She grinned.

Tim smiled and took a cup she offered him.

"So Lee?"

"Tony…" Gibbs said, "His name is Tony. He's one of my agents, been through some really rough stuff."

"He didn't want us to contact anyone, said he needed to be away from them."

Gibbs looked through her office window and through all the men sleep on the cots in the other room he could see his boy, curled in on himself looking frail.

"Jen, I need a favor…" Gibbs asked. "Can you keep him here for a few days, talk to him, and don't let him know you're a therapist or he won't talk to you. I'll be back in a few days, just need to do something…something I think he needs."

"Jethro, for you…anything. But you'll owe me Mister!" she grinned.

"And Jen, don't let him drink anymore, and give him these," He handed a bottle of antibiotics to her.

Tim and Gibbs left the building heading back to the hospital where Tim had left his car.

"Boss, what are you up to?" he asked.

"I'm giving him just what he needs." Gibbs said with a smile, "And I'll need your help. You, Abby and the twins."

 


	19. Chapter 19

Amelia and Adam looked up expectantly as Gibbs walked into Abby's lab. "Grandpa, Where's dad?" Adam asked.

Gibbs walked into Abby's office signaling the children to follow him.

He sat on the edge of her desk and waited as they found somewhere to sit, "Is he dead?" Amelia asked tears pricking her eyes.

Gibbs shook his head, "No, your father is still unwell; he's asked that I adopt you."

"He doesn't want us?" Amelia asked.

Gibbs put his arm around his granddaughter. "He loves you both very much, he's just in a dark place right now and he thinks that he is not the right person to care for you, he thinks he is a danger to you."

"But that's not true!" Adam exclaimed. "He saved us."

Gibbs smiled, "That he did, I have an idea, but I want to run it past you first," Gibbs said pulling both children close.

Abby watched from her lab as Gibbs talked to the children and then held them close as they cried.

Walking out of the office, Gibbs turned to Abby, "it's on, can you watch the kids for a while longer then get everything on this list and meet us at my house?"

Abby jumped up as down "Yay!" she grinned and hugged the kids, "Come help me plan."

* * *

Gibbs walked out of the NCIS building and over to his car as he picked up his phone. "Hart…Gibbs, it's on, will you meet me at the court building." He closed the phone and climbed into the car unable to keep the smile off his face.

Pulling up outside the court Gibbs jumped out of the car and jogged over the where Allison M Hart was waiting, "Mr. Gibbs, It's nice to be here for a good reason for a change. Where is Tony?"

Gibbs took her off to one side and explained what had happened, From when Ziva had left and Tony had gone to Tel Aviv to finding out he was the father of twins, all the way to discovering that Mike Macaluso was his biological father and all the trials that Tony had gone through right up to the note Tony had left when he'd ran off from the hospital yesterday.

"Oh my…The poor boy, I always found him to be a nice person; I can't believe he's been through so much."

"So you see how important this is to him and his family."

Allison nodded, "I have a judge waiting to see us now, and you have the note signing over the children's custody to you?"

"I do." Gibbs said sipping on his coffee.

"Well, let's get on with it so that you can get back to your boy." She said.

Watching her climb the steps to the courthouse he mused if he was going to break rule 13 Tony was definitely the one to break it for.

He disposed of his cup in the trash can and followed her up the steps.

Judge Emerson looked at her docket, her eyes raised as she realized that the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a 9am appointment with her, normally the only time that man would come into this building was when he was testifying against criminals or getting divorced.

He had been before her a few times as a witness, in court circles the man was legendary, just as legendary was his dislike, no, Hatred of lawyers, yet next to his name was Allison M Hart.

She sat back and waited as the bailiff knocked her door.

"Enter." She said.

Both Gibbs and Hart entered and sat in front of the judge, "Mr. Gibbs, Ms Hart, you both requested a private hearing to discuss this, so how can I help you."

Gibbs handed over the evidence and told the judge the same story he had told Ms. Hart not 20 minutes before. The judge listened, not impassively and wiped a tear as she was told of the children's flight from Israel and their subsequent assimilation into the US. She read the note Tony had left and wiped another tear.

"SO your honor, you see why I need to do this for them."

"Have they agreed?"

"You see the note from Mr. Macaluso, Tony and here are signed assents from the children." Gibbs said handing over two more pieces of paper.

The judge looked at the petition before her and nodded, "Your petition is granted, congratulations Mr. Gibbs." She signed the form, "You would like new birth certificates as well?"

"Please your honor." Gibbs said not able to hide his grin.

They left the judge's chambers and Allison threw her arms around him, "I'm so pleased for you." She said.

"Thanks Allie." He said and kissed her cheek. Some had guess, Tony mostly that during the Bell case she and Gibbs had become close, what they had had, bright as it was at the time had burnt out, but they were still friends.

"Go, your family needs you." She said as she pulled away.

Gibbs smiled and walked towards his car carrying the most important pieces of paper he'd ever own.

* * *

Pulling up outside the shelter he grabbed the envelope and walked into Jenny McBride's office, "Jen...?" he called, "How is he?"

Jenny looked up as Gibbs entered, "He's really down, I managed to get him to take his antibiotics but I couldn't get him to take the painkillers. Although the house doctor asked him to stay so he's got a bed in the back room, still insists his name is Lee, Lee Gibbs would you believe."

Gibbs smiled, "He's not far off."

"Are you going to take him home?" she asked,

"Yeah, if he'll let me, can I have some time alone with him?"

Jenny smiled, "Yeah, take him some soup, the doctor as asked that he eat something."

Gibbs knocked on the door and waited, "Yeah…" A sad voice came from the other side.

"Hungry?" Gibbs asked walking in.

"Boss…I….NO!" Tony tried to get up.

"Rest son, come here eat some soup."

Tony wouldn't look at him but he sat at the small table and sipped the soup. "Why are you here, I thought I made myself clear." He said softly.

"You did, I followed your instructions." Gibbs said.

"Congratulations," he said sourly, "Enjoy your new family."

"I fully intend to." Gibbs said.

"So did you come here to gloat?" Tony asked.

"No." Gibbs said handing him the envelope, "need you to sign something, and then I can take my son home."

Tony blinked back his tears he had hoped that the letter would be enough not that he'd have to physically sign his son away.

He grabbed the pen and looked through the papers he saw the change of name forms for Amelia Gibbs and Adam Gibbs. Signed on them and thrust them back.

"Now go…" he said his voice cracking.

"Ya missed one." Gibbs said handing him the last one.

Tony read it and dropped the pen… "Really?" he asked amazed looking up at Gibbs, "You…want me?"

"If you'll have me as a father." Gibbs said waiting.

Tony wiped his eyes and nodded, "Yeah…dad…" he said quietly.

Gibbs walked over and wrapped his arms around his son. "Come home, your kids are waiting for you, you can all stay with me until you're better."

Tony nodded and waited until Gibbs helped him up. "Let's head home son."

Walking out Jenny went over to them. "So Lee are you leaving?"

"It's Tony." He admitted sheepishly.

Jenny smiled, "I know, your father talks about you all the time."

Tony paled, "my…my father?"

"Me." Gibbs said with a grin.

"Really? You both know each other?" Tony asked.

"Known Jenny for a few years now." Gibbs admitted.

"I kinda knew who you were when you called yourself Lee Gibbs, Gibbs used to talk about you all the time." She said, "Now you get off home with your father and get some rest."

Tony smiled as he walked down the front steps from the shelter, "You really are aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes son, now get in the car we are going to be late." He said as a smiling Tony climbed into the car.

* * *

Arriving home Tony stood up out of the car and looked at the car's parked outside, He recognized his team's car's Dornegets mini and Baker's Cadillac and McGee's big red hearse that belonged to Abby but Tim secretly loved to drive and last but not least Jimmy and Breena's SUV.

"Are you sure, it's ok for me to stay?" Tony asked, "I can just go home." He faltered.

"Tony…Son…" Gibbs put his bag down and sat on the chair, "No one thinks bad of you, we know what you've been through and we are family, You, me, your kids are all family, we always have been, but with all you had been through, I thought that it was high time you knew you have a father that is proud to have you as a son."

"But…."

"No, I am proud to have you as my son, Jack is so happy that you and the twins are joining the family."

Tony allowed Gibbs to hug him again and he closed his eyes savoring the feeling of warmth and love.

"DADDY!" Amelia's voice cut through his thoughts as she looked outside the window to see her father and grandpa on the doorstep, she flung open the door and ran to him, "I'm so glad you're home." She said.

"I missed you baby girl." He said hugging her tears of joy that she was safe were pouring from his eyes, "I thought I'd lost you."

"We thought we had lost you too!" Adam said joining his father and sister on the porch.

"Gibbs!" Abby called

"Yes?" All four Gibbs' replied.

Abby squealed, "I love it!"

Tim walked out and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and led her into the house, "Come on guys, we have food." He said.

Just as they were walking in a dark colored limousine pulled up and a woman got out, "Director Gibbs? I've been trying to get a hold of you for days," She said,

"Sorry, Hetty, been sorting out a family adoption." He said to SECNAV.

She turned to him, "The Scuito's adopted?"

Gibbs grinned, "No ma'am, gonna need more paperwork, Tony Macaluso…he and his kids are now Gibbs' I adopted him and his kids as my grandkids."

"So I assume you would like me to assist Mr. Maca…I mean Agent Gibbs Jr? with new credentials."

Gibbs smiled, "Please."

Hetty feigned a hand over her heart. "You said please!" she exclaimed.

Gibbs laughed, "Hetty!"

Hetty smiled and walked into the house and up to Tony.

"Agent Gibbs, I have just been informed that you have been adopted by Director Gibbs, is that right?" she asked.

The people in the lounge stood silently as Tony looked at the smaller woman.

"I…er, yes?" he said, both his children coming to hold a hand each and Gibbs standing behind his son.

Hetty broke into a smile, "Good, I would hate for these new credentials to go to waste, welcome to NCIS Special Agent Gibbs." She handed him his new credentials and smiled as Tony knelt down to hug her.

"Thank you….Thank you all." He said.

Hetty turned to go, "Are you not staying?" Tony asked.

"Alas no, I am about to catch a flight to Los Angeles, two of my old team at OSP are getting married this weekend, as 'mother' of the groom, I have to be there." She smiled.

Director Gibbs nodded, and walked her to her car. "Tell Callen I wish him all the best, and I hope that girl of his doesn't give him too much trouble."

Hetty smiled, "I do believe those two are perfectly matched." She said and climbed into the car.

"Congratulations on your new family." Hetty said and closed the door.

Stopping for a moment before he walked in Gibbs looked up at the sky, "Rest well Ziva." He smiled sending a prayer up for her, she had made mistakes but he knew now that in her own way she had tried to do everything for the right reasons.

Smiling Gibbs turned and walked towards his house, his family and his new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N. OK so this is finally the end of this story, I know some of you will be saying thank goodness and I know I said I would not publish another authors note on this story However I was asked a question by a guest that I feel I need to answer.
> 
> The question was Do I Hate Ziva and Senior.
> 
> My reply is No. I do not hate Ziva, I actually enjoyed her character in the show and am sad she left, I felt had she stayed she could have developed her character so much further, however Cote De Pablo chose to follow her own path and I wish her well. The whole point of this story was for me to write something out of my comfort zone, I have been slammed, maligned and even had death threats aimed at me….I am so glad that this touched you all to the point that some of you wanted to kill me...:) It is however fan fiction, for those of you who took the time to point out my mistakes, THANK YOU, it is reviews like those and those of you who had opinions that were not bordering on the criminal that helped in the shaping of this story and its companion piece Natalie. I am a fan that like how the writers write the story so as for TIVA I can actually take it or leave it, I understand how Tony could react the way he did to Ziva considering his upbringing which is why I wrote the companion piece.
> 
> As for Senior….His treatment of his son, for me hits closer to home….let's just say I totally understand what Tony's upbringing must have been like, I do not hate Senior either, he is a character of someone's imagination…
> 
> If you read between the lines in this story Ziva was not as evil as people thought I made her out to be, she was instead trapped by circumstances beyond her control and she like some parents do, made mistakes, some huge ones admittedly, but she was trying and in the end did love her children.
> 
> For those of you that made it past the few lines of Tiva and made it to the end of this story THANK YOU for reading, I appreciate you sticking with this story….and NOT killing me .


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